


Not Just a Seraph

by violetstorm



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2018-12-03 01:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 81,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11521377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetstorm/pseuds/violetstorm
Summary: In the kingdom of Ladylake, seraphim and humans live together, but not as equals. Seraphim are born into royalty and they are seen as above humans, as figures to be worshipped or in some cases, they're hated for their easy lives.But there's one seraph that doesn't seem all that bad.





	1. Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where I was going with this. I wasn't thinking while writing this, my fingers were just typing away. It's a royalty AU based off of the fact that I originally thought Mikleo was a prince at first glance (due to his character design), Sorey was a simple villager, and they would meet and go on an adventure. Of course, I was wrong, but it's still fun to think about.

“Just one more minute!”

“No way! We need to leave _now_!”

“I need just a little bit more time!”

“We. Don’t. Have. Any. Time!”

Above the sounds of their argument, rapid footsteps could be heard, and they were getting louder by the second. From the end of the hallway, the flickering light of a torch could be seen, gradually growing.

 _“Shit!_ They’re here..! C’mon, let’s _go_!”

But it was already too late. A soldier ran into the hallway and took one look at the two standing dead-set in the middle and yelled, “There they are! I found ‘em!”

It wasn’t long before they were surrounded on both sides. With blades pointed at their necks and hands behind their backs, they were marched out of the ruins, into a carriage, and in the direction of the capital of Hyland, Ladylake.

* * *

 

“And that’s when we got captured and dragged into here,” Rose finished, crossing her arms. “Your soldiers should be able to tell you the rest.”

“I see,” Alisha, head of the Royal Knights, responded. She was writing some notes down, her pen moving rapidly across the paper. “Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience my knights may have caused you. However, trespassing is a serious crime and we had to take necessary precautions.”

“I told you, we weren’t trespassing! We were just trying to take shelter from the rain and got lost!” Rose slammed her hands down on the table with a bang. She turned to the boy sitting beside her, who was sporting a rather sheepish smile. “Right, Sorey?”

Wrong. They weren’t. Sorey knew very well what he was getting into when he decided to explore those ruins. It was bad, but there was so much information to gather… He mentally sighed and prepared himself to lie. He was never a good liar, but they wouldn’t believe the truth either. He had no choice.

“Uh,y-yeah! We were,” Sorey stuttered. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Alisha stared at him, unable to meet her gaze. He focused his attention on Alisha’s mentor instead (Maltran, she said her name was?), who was tapping her long nails on the desk quite impatiently. “It was cold out and we didn’t have any cloaks.”

Maltran raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then what are you wearing over your shoulders right now?”

Sorey felt his heart leap into his throat.

“Waterproof cloaks!” Rose blurted out. “He meant that we didn’t have any waterproof cloaks.”

“I see.”

_Tap, tap, tap._

She didn’t believe them.

Under the table, Rose stepped on Sorey’s shoe, _hard_. He yelped, and Alisha looked up from her notes to stare at him with a confused look, as did Maltran. Sorey quickly turned his cry of pain into a loud, obvious coughing fit.

“Oh, my! Are you alright?” Alisha stood up, but Sorey waved her back down, still trying his best to fake-cough.

“N-No, I-I’m fine! Must have caught a fever or something out in the rain.” Sorey gave another cough for emphasis.

“You mean a cold?”

“O-Oh, uh, yeah, that!”

“I guess the cold’s been getting to him, huh?” Rose let out a forced laugh that was far too high pitched to seem real and playfully punched Sorey’s arm. Thankfully, Alisha seemed to buy into their little act and sat back down.

“I-I see. I recommend you visit the infirmary after this to get that checked out. I suppose I should hurry this along,” Alisha said, concern clearly etched into her dainty features. Maltran, on the other hand, looked less than pleased, but said nothing, thank Maotelus. “Now, as I was saying before, trespassing is an extremely—”

The door to the courtroom opened, cutting Alisha off. All four people turned to stare at the door. It wasn’t the one Sorey and Rose entered from. Rather, it was a door that led from the courtroom directly into the castle. Through the door, the most beautiful thing Sorey had ever seen stepped into the courtroom.

“Your Highness!” Alisha called out. She stood and bowed, while Maltran did the same. Sorey gaped. _His Highness?_ Sorey had seen the prince a couple of times before, when he had gone to festivals in Ladylake, but never had he seen the prince so close, and in a courtroom no less!

He was without the royal garb he normally wore. Instead of a long, flowing cape that touched the ground, he had two smaller ones that reached just below his knees. He wore a shirt of blue and white pants, along with a corset that had more belts that Sorey wanted to count. His eyes wandered to his face and he forgot how to breathe.

HIs hair was even more beautiful up close, a soft silver that ended in blue and his eyes, oh, his _eyes_. They were a deep violet, with a gaze that seemed to pierce through Sorey’s soul. The prince turned to face Sorey. He felt dizzy, though it wasn’t because of his lack of breathing.

“Sorey!” Rose hissed under her breath as she lifted (quite harshly, in fact) Sorey to his feet. She placed her hand on his back and forced him to bow, tearing Sorey’s eyes away from the prince’s.

Sorey stared at his feet, praying his cheeks weren’t a flaming red. At long last, he heard Maltran speak. Sorey lifted his head to see the prince’s gaze on Maltran instead. She stood tall as she spoke. “Your Highness, may I inquire as to why you are here? Is there an issue?”

“Not at all. I came here only to observe. Carry on.”

Sorey would have fainted and collapsed if it weren’t for Rose clinging onto his back. The prince’s voice was quiet and graceful, yet firm as he commanded Alisha and Maltran to resume their lecture. Sorey sat back down on his chair and watched as the prince took a seat on the opposite side of the room. He crossed his legs as he sat, smoothing out his pants.

Alisha set her quill down on the table and began to read off of her notes. “Very well. The fine for trespassing is—”

“Wait, wait, I thought we agreed that Sorey and I weren’t trespassing!”

Rose, always one to argue. They would be here for a while. Sorey decided to tune out Rose and focus on the prince instead. He had one hand on his chin, head lowered and eyes shut.

“We shouldn’t get fined for a crime we didn’t commit!”

His lips were pursed. Was he annoyed by something? Or was he only thinking?

“An accident it may have been, however—”

There were six belts on each side of his corset. Sorey absentmindedly wondered how long it took him to put the corset on. Perhaps he had somebody help him.

“Half the fine for half the crime!”

He wasn’t sitting straight up, but he wasn’t slouching either. Sorey straightened up in his own chair, suddenly self-conscious of his appearance. He tugged at a strand of his hair, still slightly damp from the rain earlier. He felt ashamed to look so messy in the presence of a prince.

“The soldiers insisted that—”

There was not a single wrinkle on his clothes. Did he choose the clothes himself? Now that he was thinking about it, the clothes did suit him quite well. While he lost the impressive cape, there was now nothing to hide his figure under. The corset certainly didn’t help. During festivals, he always looked so tall and imposing, and here, he looked small, delicate.

Why had he come to the courtroom? It was a simple misunderstanding. Surely a prince would have more important affairs to attend to? Or perhaps the situation was more serious than Sorey originally thought.

“Right, thanks. C’mon, Sorey.”

Rose, once again, tugged Sorey to his feet. He looked around in a daze. What had happened? How long had he been lost in thought for? Both Alisha and Maltran were beginning to collect all their notes and putting them all away. What happened to their little trial?

“It’s time to leave. We’ve gotta get you to the infirmary to get that cold checked out, _remember?_ Rose said. Right. Sorey was supposed to be sick. Sorey began to cough again, each one sounding more fake then the last.

“O-Of course.”

“Let’s go,” Rose said, and with a firm grip on Sorey’s arm, she just about dragged Sorey towards the courtroom’s exit, ignoring Alisha’s call of “Take care!”. She pushed open the door with her free hand and stepped outside. Sorey followed a moment later. He reached for the doorknob, about to pull it closed, when he noticed the prince looking at him.

He stared into the prince’s violet eyes and before he could process what he was doing, raised his hand and gave the prince a tiny wave. The prince’s eyes opened wide in surprise, and he crossed his arms and looked away indignantly.

_What? Did I do something wrong?_

The door closed with a resounding thud, and immediately, Rose was standing over Sorey, hands on her hips.

“You know, you coulda backed me up on that!”

“He looked mad…”

“Sorey!” Rose prodded Sorey on his chest. “Are you even listening?”

“I am, I am! So, uh, what were you saying?”

“The fine! She only agreed to lower the fine _after_ I asked her to a thousand times. What did I have to prove?! We didn’t touch anything in there! They had _no_ proof that we did anything! Ohh, I’m going to _kill_ somebody!”

Rose was beginning another one of her long, winded rants, complete with a colourful assortment of swears nobody other than her would dare utter in front of a courtroom. Through the years that he’d known Rose, he’d came to realize that it was better to allow Rose to let it all out of her system. He felt his mind drifting off, Rose’s words becoming a mere buzz in his ears as he thought back to the prince’s reaction to his wave.

Sorey mentally kicked himself. He couldn’t believe what he had done. He waved, a common villager like himself, at a _prince_ . The prince of Hyland, no less. Who also happened to be a seraphim. Sorey was a mere human and a commoner to a prince who was a seraph and he waved at him. While he was in a court for a crime! _He probably hates me..._

“Yeah, I fucking hate you!”

Oh. Sorey had said that last thought out loud.

“You’re paying for 75% of that fine, Sorey, you know that?” Rose looked to be about two seconds away from strangling Sorey right then and there. It was suicide to argue with her now.

“Yeah, yeah, I will, don’t worry! It’s my fault we got caught in the first place,” Sorey admitted.

“Can’t you go geek out over some ruins that _aren’t_ illegal to visit?” Rose groaned. Sorey shook his head.

“But _Rooose_ , you know that the Galahad Ruins are-”

“Oh, god, I’ve had enough of ruins for one day!”

* * *

 

While there was still plenty of time before sundown, he still had to hurry. It would take some time to travel there and back, especially with the added amount of soldiers patrolling the area…

He reached down and pushed the window up with both hands, the cool air flowing into the room. He placed one leg on the windowsill, and was about to swing the other over, when the door to the room opened. His stomach turned over as he desperately tried to think of an excuse as to why he, of all people, was leaning out of the window on the third floor of the castle.

“Mikleo..?”

He let out a sigh of relief. He swung both his legs back inside the room, sitting on the edge of the window as a woman with flowing white hair came into view.

“Lailah.” Mikleo said, as Lailah quickly recovered from her shock at seeing Mikleo.

“Mikleo… I thought I would find you here.” Lailah said as she walked towards Mikleo, high-heels clicking on the stone floors. “Might I ask where you’re going?”

“The usual.”

“Oh, Mikleo,” Lailah sighed. “You know that there are more soldiers on patrol. It’s getting harder to avoid getting caught.”

“Don’t worry,” Mikleo tried his best to give a reassuring grin. “I won’t get caught. I gave them the orders, after all. I’ll only be gone for a little while, you don’t need to worry.”

“Still, I can’t help but worry. But I know I can’t stop you once you’ve made up your mind.” Lailah said. She was right. If there was one thing Mikleo was known for around the castle, it was his stubbornness, a trait that had followed him from his childhood well into his teenage years.

“It’s just been so long since I went out.” Mikleo thought back to the last time he escaped the castle. It had been little over five weeks ago. A close encounter with a guard had left him reluctant to try a feat like that again.

“Did something prompt you to decide to go? That boy and the girl from the courthouse, perhaps?” Lailah asked. Mikleo stared at Lailah, questioningly.

“How did you know about that?”

“I heard from Alisha. They had been caught in the ruins and supposedly, that boy had quite the interest in them.”

The girl and the boy from the courthouse. The “trial” that Mikleo interrupted. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. Hearing about two people exploring ruins had rekindled his interest and love for exploring. Even though those two humans were trespassing. Or, as the girl put it, Mikleo thought with a wry grin, getting lost.

The boy in particular was what stole Mikleo’s interest. The soldiers said that he had been loitering around the entrance of the ruins for a while now, sneaking glances inside, but never did they imagine that he would be so bold to venture in. He hadn’t been deep enough in the Galahad Ruins to find anything of real worth, but if the benefits of finding something good outweighed the risk of getting caught, then he had to try as well.

Mikleo would be lying if he said he was not curious to find out what the boy was so intrigued about. Of course, the boy could have really just been trespassing or perhaps he was up to criminal activity, but the very idea seemed outlandish. No criminal would be as terrible of a liar as that boy was.

“I suppose you may have a point,” he said.

“Lady Lailah?”

Though it was muffled by walls, Mikleo could distinguish that voice anywhere. It was Alisha. Of course, no other knight would address a seraphim so casually, but Lailah made an exception for Alisha, only in the privacy of the third floor. Mikleo gave Lailah a pleading look, who responded with a faint smile. She picked up Mikleo’s hand and held it in between her own slender ones, squeezing it. “I shall cover for you. Please be careful, alright?”

Mikleo nodded once more. “Thank you, Lailah.”

With that, Mikleo spun around and leaped out of the window and onto the castle’s tiled roof below. He turned around to see the window softly slide shut. He made a mental note to grab Lailah a gift before he returned, straightened his hood to cover more of his face, and began the perilous journey off the castle roof and away from Ladylake, to the Galahad Ruins.

* * *

 

Sorey knew that it was foolish to go back to the ruins, and right after he was caught in them no less, but he couldn’t help himself. Before Rose showed up and tried to drag him away, he was deciphering some ancient writing on the wall. It was a slow process, but he was getting there. Those writings could hold the secret behind when the ruins were built! It was a risky move, but a necessary one, in Sorey’s opinion. He _had_ to find out the truth.

He felt bad for lying to Rose and saying that he had some chores to finish back in Elysia, but she wouldn’t have let him go otherwise. Of course, that meant he had to take extra precautions not to get caught by the guards. He didn’t have Rose’s quick wits and sharp tongue to get him out of any trouble.

His footsteps echoed off the empty walls, the shadows growing as he walked deeper in. Thank Maotelus it was still bright out, but it wouldn’t be for long. He had to hurry. Sorey pulled out a notebook from his satchel and opened it to a page with a crudely-drawn map. He traced a path on the paper with his finger.

_Just a little bit longer._

He flipped through the pages, scanning his notes and his messy sketches of discoveries in the ruins. One by one, he began to identify the particular subjects that the carvings on the walls shared. They were made more of organic shapes, rather than geometric ones. They lacked in details and instead went for simplicity. The carvings didn’t look like they were made from seraphic artes, so that meant…

_Crash._

Sorey looked up from his notebook in a shock. _What was that?_ Somebody - or something - was here with him..?! Sorey tucked the notebook carefully away and rested his hand on his sword’s sheath as he strained to hear anything else. There was nothing.

A hellion, or a human?

Sorey still had some distance to go before he would reach those carvings he had yet to decipher. And to get to them, he would have to go past whatever made that noise. He began to walk slowly, silently towards the source of the noise, his breaths slow.

The walk seemed to take an eternity, but he couldn’t risk going any faster, else he would make too much noise. A voice in the back of his mind said that he was stupid and he should turn back before it was too late, but the temptation of deciphering that message was too overwhelming.

He was getting closer, and there was still no sound. He had been to this area before, though he couldn’t remember what it was for. All he could remember was that the hallway he was currently walking in led to a dead-end, where the noise had come from.

His back to the wall, Sorey peered around the corner and into the room. A single, hooded figure was standing there, facing a monolith Sorey had already deciphered. It was written in the ancient tongue, and it had a riddle Sorey had yet to solve. The figure wasn’t moving, but still, it continued to look at the monolith.

Where they an explorer, too? Sorey wondered if it would be wise to approach. If he did approach, how would he do it? Should he shout out, “Hello!” and walk into the room? Or would that frighten the person?

What if the person wasn’t an explorer? They could be a thief or a criminal hiding away in the ruins. They had no visible weapons on their body, but it wouldn’t be hard to hide a knife underneath their cloak. Sorey wasn’t terrible with his sword, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to swing his weapon at a _human._

The figure then moved closer to the monolith, holding one of their hands out, ready to touch the stone. It was then that Sorey finally remember what happened in the room. He had done the same, the first time he visited the ruins.

It was a trap.

“Stop!” Sorey cried out, not caring that he had revealed himself, but he was too late. The figure had already touched the stone, and in an instant, the floor opened out from under them. They let out a cry of surprise as Sorey dove forwards, hand outstretched.

Just in time, Sorey managed to catch the person’s hand before they fell into the abyss below. He caught them. They were safe, their hands gripping tightly onto Sorey’s. They were surprisingly light. Sorey looked down into the hole in which they fell. “You alright?”

Sorey’s heart stopped.

He was holding onto the figure’s hand, his much larger than the others. In the fall, the figure’s hood had fallen loose, revealing their face. Violet eyes stared into Sorey’s, as wide as his own. It was the prince.

The _prince?_ In some ruins? Not in a castle? Why was he alone and without any guards? Was it really _the_ prince, the crowned prince of Hyland holding onto his hand? What was he doing here? Sorey’s mind was beginning to spin from all these questions.

“Do you intend to just let me hang here?”

The prince’s voice snapped Sorey out of his thoughts. The prince was still suspended over the gap, though he was seemingly nonchalant for somebody who had just fallen into a trap. With a grunt, he pulled the prince out of the hole, falling backwards in the process. He and the prince stared at each other. Sorey cleared his throat.

“So, uh… are you… alright?” Sorey asked. The prince stood, dusting off his clothes. He was wearing the same clothes that he had on in the courtroom.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

The prince’s reply was curt as he looked back to the hole, then to the monolith. Sorey stood, still in shock. He decided to voice his earlier questions.

“What’s a prince doing here, in some old ruins?”

“Excuse me?”

The prince turned to face Sorey, a frown on his face. Sorey turned pale. Did he just say that? This was the _prince_ he was talking to. How could he have addressed him so lightly?

“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness!” he uttered, bowing his head. “I shouldn’t have asked, my apologies.”

“There’s no need for that.” the prince replied. Sorey raised his head. “You did save my life after all. But,” the prince stalked closer to Sorey, who backed away nervously. “What is a human like yourself doing in these ruins? Don’t tell me you were looking for something to steal.”

“N-No, of course not!” Sorey raised his hands in front of himself, still backing away. The prince scoured Sorey’s features for any sign of a lie, only for his eyes to suddenly widen.

“You’re… you’re the boy that was in the courtroom earlier!” the prince exclaimed. _Crap,_ Sorey thought. The prince recognized him as the idiot who got lost in the ruins and the idiot who waved at him. Crap, crap, _crap_.

“Yeah,” Sorey rubbed the back of his neck. The prince crossed his arms.

“May I ask why you’re back here in the ruins? I doubt that you came here to get _lost_ a second time,” he said. From the way he said ‘lost’, it sounded like he didn’t believe Sorey and Rose’s story either. Sorey was trapped. There were no other excuses that would work.

“I just… I wanted to explore these ruins,” Sorey said. Perhaps if he told him the truth, he would be let off. That is, _if_ the prince believed him.

“I see.”

“If I may ask, Your Highness, why did you come to my court case earlier?” Sorey said, hoping to take the subject off of his ‘trespassing’.

“It interested me.”

Another vague response. Sorey knew better than to dig deeper. That was the best answer he was going to get, though he still had so many questions. _Why_ was his case interesting? Though, it seemed like he wasn’t going to get an answer, judging from the prince’s stiff responses.

“I hope you realize that even though you helped me, I cannot excuse the destruction of sacred property.”

“What?” Sorey asked, taken aback. Destruction of sacred property? What did that mean? He hadn’t destroyed _anything_.

“On my way here, I spotted some destroyed monoliths. They appear to have been knocked over,” the prince said.

“Destroyed… monoliths?” The prince must have taken a separate path than Sorey into this room. On his way, he hadn’t noticed anything even remotely similar to what the prince was talking about. “I didn’t destroy any monoliths!” Sorey said, almost offended at the accusation. As if he would dare destroy such a valuable piece of history.

“Then what were you doing in here?” the prince demanded.

“I told you, I was here exploring these ancient ruins!”

“Exploring.”

“I… I kinda have an interest in ancient history.”

“So that’s why you came here.”

“Yeah. I was trying to do some research on the Era of Asgard and so I thought, why not go visit some ruins made in that era?”

“Hold on. The Era of Asgard? These ruins were built much earlier than that.”

Sorey and the prince stared at each other in silence, both as surprised as the other. Did the prince just… correct Sorey? He hadn't expected anything like that. The prince, realizing what he had said, clapped his hand to his mouth and turned away, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. 

“Wait, you know about ancient history?”

The prince didn’t look at him.

“What did you mean by it’s not from the Era of Asgard?”

Still, he was silent. Sorey knew he shouldn’t keep asking questions, but he couldn’t help himself. He came down here to gather more information, but he didn’t expect to get more like this.

“When were these ruins made?”

“The carvings were made to honour King Meliodas. Not King Claudin,” the prince, at long last, spoke up, turning to face Sorey. “You can tell by studying the patterns. Carvings, and inscriptions from the Era of Asgard were done more smoothly, since at the time, humans had access to more advanced tools. Seraphim and human relations were also strained during that time, so seraphim wouldn’t have helped humans build anything.”

Sorey was sure his mouth was wide open by now. He hadn’t expected this degree of information to come from the prince, and while he knew it was important to pay respects to a noble figure, he couldn’t help but challenge his point. “Yes, but what about time? It’s possible that the rocks got chipped away after so long.”

“We need to take into account the structure of the ruins as well. There aren’t many sculptures or statues around, and those are what really defined the Era of Asgard.”

“What if the statues were stolen or taken someplace else?”

“Then  _I_ would know. Most artifacts would be in museums, or the castle itself.”

“Oh, right…”

It was hard to argue with him there. Sorey had never actually entered the castle of Ladylake. He’d only seen it from the outside. The prince would obviously know, he had been living in the castle all his life. But those simple “facts” he spout out didn’t debunk _all_ the research Sorey had recorded.

He pulled out his notebook and thrusted it towards the prince, who stared at it, confused.

“I’ve been doing my research,” Sorey said. Common sense told him that the prince wouldn’t be interested, but Rose had always enjoyed saying that Sorey had no common sense. “I think your interpretations rely on stereotypes a bit too much.”

“Is that so?” The prince took Sorey’s notebook, cocking his head. He didn’t seem… offended at being challenged. In fact, he seemed a bit… excited.

He began to go through the pages, mumbling under his breath. Occasionally, he would look up, as if going to ask Sorey a question, only to resume studying Sorey’s notes.

“Your interpretations of the meaning behind some monoliths are far-fetched,” the prince finally said. “‘The ancients toying with us’? Really?”

“It’s all quite possible,” Sorey felt a tiny twinge of pain in his chest. He was proud of that interpretation. There were some cases of ancients leaving cryptic messages behind that were more of a joke than not. It wasn’t so far-fetched.

The prince handed Sorey’s notebook back to him, staring into his eyes whilst doing so. “Perhaps.”

He took it and tucked it away. An awkward silence descended over the both of them, each unsure of what to say and what to do.

“...Your Highness?”

“Please don’t call me that,” the prince said quickly. “It’s strange to be referred to that in here.”

“Then what should I call you?” Sorey inquired.

“You don’t know the name of the prince of Hyland?” the prince said incredulously.

“I know it! It’s Luzrov Rulay, right?” he said. The prince nodded. “But it feels strange to call someone by their seraphim name, as a human myself.”

“No stranger than being addressed as ‘Your Highness’ while talking about ancient history. Call me…” the prince paused. “Mikleo.”

“Mikleo… that’s your name?” Sorey said. Did the prince of Hyland, a seraphim, just tell him their name? Sure, the Queen preferred to be addressed by her human name, Muse, but seraphim royalty usually went by their seraphim name. He heard that it was rare for a seraph to give out their human name. “It’s… nice.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” Mikleo asked.

“A-Ah, forgive me Your Hi- Mikleo! My name is Sorey. I’m from Elysia.” Sorey smiled.

“Elysia. The mountain village.” Mikleo didn’t say it like a question, rather like he stated it like a fact.

“I came to Ladylake to do some business with a friend… and go into these ruins,” Sorey admitted. “But I never expected to run into a prince here. I thought a prince would be more interested in well… princely-stuff.”

It was strange to see a seraphim interested in ancient history too, but Sorey knew better than to say that out loud. Why would a seraph need to study history, when they had lived through it?

“Is it not proper for a prince to study ancient history?” Mikleo said.

“Not at all! But I thought that you’d rather be dealing with politics and all that instead of exploring ruins,” Sorey said. Mikleo furrowed his eyebrows, then looked up to Sorey with a panicked expression.

“Mikleo..? Is something the matter?”

“Where is the quickest route out of here?” he asked, stepping closer to Sorey. “I’ve been gone for far too long, somebody may notice that I’m gone.”

“Were you supposed to be doing something?” Sorey said.

“Studying with my instructor,” Mikleo muttered. “She offered to cover for me, but she can only lie for so long. I must take my leave.”

“I know an exit out of here that’s close to the castle,” Sorey offered. Mikleo raised an eyebrow.

“How many times have you been here?”

Sorey let out a nervous chuckle. “Too many times, I guess. C’mon, it’s this way!”

He motioned for Mikleo to follow him as he jogged out of the room and into the hallway. Mikleo obliged. Holding onto his cloak with one hand, he followed closely behind Sorey. Together, they ran down a path opposite the one Sorey entered from. The shadows seemed to grow as they went deeper inside.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Mikleo called out above the sounds of their footsteps. Sorey laughed.

“Of course! Don’t worry, I’ll get you home in no time.”

* * *

 

Their conversations had been light at most while running, having been more important to save their breathe for running instead of chatting. Still, Sorey couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was unlikely that he would get a chance to speak with the prince after this, and they were spending their last moments together running. Sorey was the one who didn’t want their company to end (he hadn’t been able to talk with many people about ancient history) and yet he was the one leading it to its end.

“Hold on,” the prince — _no_ , his name was Mikleo, he needed to get used to that — said, stopping. Sorey slowed to a halt, taking deep breaths. Mikleo was looking in the direction of another hallway that branched off of the one they were running in. “Do you see that?”

Mikleo pointed towards the hallway. Sorey squinted his eyes and just barely, he could make out the shape of a collection of crumbled rocks on the ground.

“That’s the path I came through,” Mikleo said. “That monolith wasn’t broken when I passed by the first time…”

His voice trailed off and an unsettling feeling washed over the two boys. With a grim smile, Mikleo turned to Sorey. “I guess you weren’t lying.”

“Of course I didn’t lie. But then that means something else broke the monolith. And they’re not exactly easy to topple…” Sorey said. That only meant one thing. Something large and powerful was in here, and judging from the Mikleo’s expression, he thought so as well.

“How far away is it to the exit?” Mikleo asked with an underlying sense of urgency.

Sorey consulted his notebook once more. They were close, but it would still take a couple of minutes to reach it. If whatever was in the ruins with them decided to chase them… A human, Sorey was sure he could outrun, but if it happened to be a hellion, they were done for.

“Sorey! Look out!” Mikleo suddenly cried out and before Sorey could register what was happening, a great force pushed at him from the side, and next thing he knew, he was laying on the ground, Mikleo on top of him. Barely, he could make out the smell of smoke.

“Mikleo..? What’s going on?”

“There’s no time to explain, get up, _move_!”

Mikleo got off Sorey, and offered his hand. When Sorey didn’t grab it quick enough, he scoffed and tried his best to haul Sorey to his feet. He failed, naturally, but Sorey had to give him points for trying. “There’s a hellion, we need to _go_!”

The gears finally clicked together in Sorey’s head as he got to his feet, taking Mikleo’s hand in his own, even though he could stand just fine by himself. There must have been a hellion in there that broke the monolith. And now that same hellion was trying to kill them.

He finally understood why Rose had such a large dictionary of swears.

“C’mon!” Sorey called out, as he and Mikleo began to run in the direction of the exit. They ran, all previous exhaustion replaced by adrenaline. Hopping over loose stones, weaving through the maze that was a hallway, they ran through it all, but despite their best efforts, they could hear the hellion catching up.

How many were there? There were hundreds of fierce footsteps following them. It seemed like an army was after them and the footsteps never let up. Sorey could feel his initial adrenaline wearing off and he could feel his legs begin to ache, but still, he ran. Mikleo didn’t seem to be faring any better. In fact, he seemed to be worse off.

Sorey cursed. He shouldn’t have been making Mikleo run. Sure, he was athletic enough to keep up with him, but he doubt that a prince would have spent his days lifting heavy weights and journeying to and from Ladylake, which wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Sorey snuck a glance behind himself to see how close the monsters was and immediately regretted it. There wasn’t an army of hellions, but there were still far too many. Three hellions were chasing them, and they were rapidly closing the distance between human and hellion.

The hellions were larger than Sorey, scaly, with too many legs to count. They had pincers that snapped open and shut as they drew even closer. He had seen these hellions before, lurking outside Ladylake. Rose had nicknamed them “centipedes from hell”. Black beady eyes greedily followed Sorey and Mikleo’s movements, waiting for their chance to strike.

Just then, Sorey stumbled, having not been watching his feet.

_Shit!_

He cursed, loudly, as he fell onto the stone floors. Mikleo stopped running, but the hellions did not. The one closest, seeing Sorey vulnerable, dove at him. Sorey shook the dizziness away and tried to draw his blade, but the hellion was so close, there wasn’t enough time-!

“Surging current…. _Twin flow!_ ”

A wave of water came from the side of Sorey’s vision, striking the hellion into a wall, where it lay still. Sorey stood, and swung his head to look towards the source of the water.

It was Mikleo, who was now pointing a staff at the remaining two hellions. Right… Mikleo was a seraph. He could control the elements, and in his case, it was water. The hellion must have died instantly, slammed into the stones like that… Sorey shuddered. Mikleo may have been physically weak, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t strong.

“That’s twice I’ve saved you.”

“Sorry… Thanks.”

Sorey drew his sword. Mikleo looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. “You sure you know how to use that?”

Sorey tightened his grip. “Yeah,” Sorey said, dashing towards a hellion. He lifted his blade and brought it down upon the hellion with all the force he could muster. It hissed and tried to snap at his legs, but Sorey managed to nimbly step away. He swung once more, metal striking against hard flesh.

To his left, Mikleo was casting an arte, staff held high. He raised it just as he shouted, “Ice Reaver!” and two slabs of ice shot out of the ground and hit the other hellion. Unfortunately, the hellion’s scales protected it from any further damage. It seemed to get angrier, its many legs thrashing about. Mikleo shot another burst of water to distract the hellion as he distanced himself to ready another arte. Sorey watched in awe as Mikleo sent another wave of water towards the hellion. To summon the elements like that… He was in such a strange mixture of envy, awe and fear that he didn’t notice the hellion sneaking up behind him.

Sorey rolled aside as his own hellion dove at him. It crashed into the ground, but that did not stop it from attempting again. This time, however, Sorey was prepared. Instead of rolling aside, Sorey brought his blade up and thrusted it into the hellion’s soft underbelly, its momentum pushing it further into Sorey’s blade. It collapsed on top of him, pincers clicking together softly and slowly, before the hellion gave one large shudder and stopped moving entirely.

With great effort, Sorey pushed the hellion off himself. He gave a silent, but brief prayer. It may have been evil, but it was still something living. _Two down, one more to go._ The last hellion was not going to go down without a fight, Sorey remarked as he watched it while struggling to catch his breath. It was vicious, relentlessly chasing Mikleo, its legs reaching out for something, _anything_ to tear apart. His cloak was torn in multiple places, chest heaving with every breath. He had no time to cast any magic.

Sorey had to change that. He leaped forward, swinging at the hellion’s back, but his blade only bounced off its scales. It didn’t hurt it, but it did drag the hellion’s attention away from Mikleo. Sorey locked gazes with Mikleo, who nodded in understanding.

Sorey started backing off, leading the hellion away as Mikleo concentrated on casting, energy flowing into his body. He began to murmur incantations under his breath, beneath the sound of Sorey desperately trying to fend the hellion off. He feinted to the right, in hopes that the hellion would dive at him like the other. It did and had Sorey not been so tired, he would have cheered.

_These hellion’s aren’t too smart, are they?_

Mikleo was still casting and he looked nowhere near ready. He had to keep the hellion distracted for just a little while longer. He began to swing at the hellion, still lying on the ground. It lashed out, scaly legs threatening to carve a red path through Sorey’s skin, but he continued his relentless assault, determined to keep Mikleo safe.

On and on and on, Sorey continued. His arms were beginning to feel heavy, sweat dripping down his forehead. It was a test of endurance, and it seemed like Sorey was losing it.

“Sorey! _Move_!”

 _That was Mikleo!_ Sorey spun around and sure enough, he was done casting. There were sharp blades of ice floating around him, summoned forth by his seraphic abilities. With the last bit of energy he had, Sorey threw himself away from the hellion, landing on the cool pavement just as Mikleo pointed his staff towards the hellion, shouting, “Freeze lancer!”

The blades of ice shot forward like an arrow, and one by one, they pierced even the scales of the hellion, pummeling its body helpless. Sorey could only watch as the hellion got hit by countless shards. Despite the fact that it was a monster that tried to kill him, Sorey still flinched every time he heard another blade of ice meet its mark.

Seraphic artes were truly dangerous.

Had he been anywhere near, surely he would have been caught in the crossfire. He didn’t realize how risky it had been to fight with a seraph until now. Mikleo was expressionless as the final blade struck the hellion in the center of its chest. It fell, blood and water intermingling as the ice melted.

The warmth Sorey once saw in Mikleo’s eyes while he was talking about ruins was gone, replaced by an icy-steel gaze that could turn a dragon to stone. Sure, Sorey had killed hellion’s before, but to brutally kill one like this..? He couldn’t look at Mikleo and he found himself wanted to run, to vomit, to hide, to do _something_.

_“They’re dangerous, Sorey. You can never trust them.”_

That’s what Rose said to Sorey when he told her that he spoke to a seraphim. Her features immediately turned into one of disgust when he said “seraphim” and he remembered regretting telling her about it. Sorey had talked to seraphim before, though he hadn’t always known that they were seraphim at the time. He found them… nice enough. Rose said that Sorey was just too trusting.

Was he?

Rose told him about the devastating power of seraphic artes. Whenever she said “seraph”, she spat the word out with venom. Seraphim were dangerous. Their powers could kill a human in a second. They abused their status as seraphim and get granted the title of nobility without even trying, all for more power.

Many seraphim don’t even have human names, and if they do, they don’t give them out.

But Mikleo… Mikleo did. Twice now had Mikleo saved Sorey. He was a trouble-making human, and yet Mikleo risked his life to protect him. Even still, Sorey couldn’t help but flinch when Mikleo ran up to him, crouching down.

“Sorey, you’re hurt!” Mikleo said, setting his staff down.

“What..?”

“Your leg!”

Indeed, his leg had a rather large gash, one that was oozing blood. He must not have noticed earlier, but now that the adrenaline was running off, he could feel a throbbing pain. Mikleo raised his palms above Sorey’s leg and he jerked it back.

“What are you doing?” Sorey asked and he was ashamed to realize that his voice was wavering.

“Your leg’s wounded. Let me heal it.”

_Seraphim were dangerous._

_Seraphic artes were too dangerous for humans._

Sorey had seen it himself for the first time. He could still hear the disgusting, sickening _squelch_ the blades of ice made when they pierced the scales and the soft flesh of the hellion.

“N-No, I’m alright,” Sorey said feebly. He propped himself up to his elbows and struggled to move, but with the intensifying pain in his leg, that task was proving more difficult than he thought.

“Oh, for the love of—” Mikleo sighed. He pushed Sorey onto his back and once again, hovered his palms over the gash. “Don’t move.”

“But—”

“Are you trying to tell the prince of Hyland what to do?”

_Seraphim thought they were better than humans._

_Seraphim used their status against humans._

Sorey didn’t say anything. Mikleo took this as an invitation to start healing. He shut his eyes and began to murmur under his breath. Soon, a blue-ish white light enveloped Sorey’s leg and he felt the pain ebb away. The light faded and all that remained was an angry red mark. Mikleo sat back, satisfied with his work.

“There. I did the best that I could.”

“Thanks,” Sorey managed to choke out. He stood and sure enough, there was no pain when he put his weight on his previously-injured foot. It was more sore than anything and Sorey found himself craving a hot bath.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Mikleo stood a step closer to Sorey.

“No. I’m alright… we should get going,” Sorey said. “We’ve been here for a while.”

“Yes, you’re right. If you’re not too hurt then, would you care to lead the way?” Mikleo backed away and Sorey couldn’t decide if he liked that or not. His mind kept replaying the scene over and over again.

When Mikleo ran over to Sorey, he looked worried. A seraph, worrying over a single human? It seemed too fake to be real. His eyes were full of concern, but Sorey had listened over and over to Rose’s stories of the seraphim that have killed people she knew…

Mikleo saved Sorey. He healed him. He protected him from the hellion. Sorey should have felt grateful. Yet all he could feel was fear. Even so, he nodded to Mikleo.

“Follow me.”

* * *

 

They weren’t running anymore, rather choosing to jog in short bursts instead. They had no energy and needed to conserve what little they had left just in case another hellion decided to show up. They didn’t speak, allowing Sorey to cloud his mind with his thoughts.

Seraphim.

Divine beings with the ability to use elemental magic. More often than not, they were royalty, simply because of their status. Sorey didn’t hate them for it. After all, Queen Muse had been doing an admirable job. But with Rose’s influence, he had begun to see them as different from himself. As something to be admired or respected from a distance.

There was a royal _and_ a seraph next to him, all wrapped up in the body of a thin boy shorter than Sorey. And yet, he didn’t feel any different. He always thought that royalty did… royal things. Studied politics and law. Dealt with trades between kingdoms and commanding the royal knights. He never would have expected that it would be so easy to talk to a royal or a seraph.

He always felt nervous in the presence of nobles and royalty, but he first felt… normal around Mikleo.

 _Was_ he too trusting?

He eyed Mikleo carefully. He was a bit stuck-up. And he didn’t seem to like talking about himself. He was assertive. But he also liked history. And he was so… _casual_ , for a prince. He didn’t try to boss Sorey around and he could defend himself well.

Thanks to his seraphic artes.

They killed those hellions so violently… and yet they relieved Sorey of his pain. He didn’t know what to think about the seraph. Mikleo didn’t seem like anything Rose made seraphim or royalty out to be. He was cruel, but he was also kind to Sorey. Did he care about Sorey? He did protect him twice. ...Did Sorey care about Mikleo himself?

Sorey was saved from answering the question. The exit to the ruins was finally coming up, orange sunlight shining into the hallway. The sun must have been setting. Even with their detours, it seemed like they arrived just in time.

Carefully, they looked outside the ruins. No guards in sight and the castle of Ladylake was only a short distance away. There were a couple alleyways to duck into, but Sorey doubted he needed to tell Mikleo that. After all, this was his kingdom. Who would know the secrets better than the prince himself?

Mikleo cleared his throat. “I suppose this is where we leave off.”

“Yeah.”

Sorey didn’t know what to say. Did he say goodbye? Did he… want to say goodbye? Sorey wanted to tear out his hair in frustration. He saw what happened in the ruins and he wanted to hate Mikleo for being a seraph born into royalty, he wanted to believe Mikleo was cruel but he couldn’t. He saw the childish excitement in his eyes when he began to debate Sorey, the curiosity when he flipped through his notebook.

He was stupid for thinking he could be friends with a seraphim. Was that why… he wanted to fear Mikleo…? To hate him..? Rose would want him to, but she wasn’t here, and she wasn’t Sorey.

“I should… be going,” Mikleo mumbled. He stepped out from under the shade of the ruins and into the sunlight, the sunset casting a warm glow over his cheeks. “I thank you for your… assistance in the ruins.”

“No problem.” Sorey said. “It was nice… talking to you.”

Mikleo stiffened and Sorey froze. Did he do something wrong _again_?

“I’d say the same thing. I wouldn’t mind talking to you again.”

Sorey breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t anger or annoy the prince, he - wait, _what?!_

“I’ll need to correct some theories you have about when the ruins originated. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m not up for debate. There’s not many people around the castle who are willing to argue with a prince,” Mikleo said, then he did something Sorey had never seen him do before. He smiled, warm and reassuring. “I hope to see you around, Sorey.”

He left, without glancing back, without giving Sorey any time to respond. It was a good thing, though. He would have been waiting hours for Sorey to struggle to string together a comprehensible sentence.

The prince asked to see him again?

Him, of all people. The idiot who got caught trespassing in some ruins. He had said that seriously, that same childish excitement on his face. But, did Sorey himself want to talk with the prince..?

He was willing to talk with a human. To talk about ancient history. He even said that Sorey’s notes were good, in his own way.

...He was only protecting Sorey. He was doing it to save their lives. “It’s kill or be killed,” Rose told Sorey once. It’s funny. A seraph Sorey spoke to said the same thing. He was shirtless and rather infamous around Ladylake, but he seemed to be wise and caring.

Were seraphim really all that different from humans? Sorey had seen that behaviour before. Rose, Zenrus, even the people back home at Elysia. To have a will to survive and fight...

He was wrong for fearing Mikleo. He didn’t want to hurt Sorey. Sorey had never seen seraphic artes in battle before and he had panicked, losing all rational thought. Mikleo was Mikleo. He wasn’t just a seraph or a member of the royal family. He was just another person interested in ancient history. Sorey shouldn’t have held his actions against him and he felt the urge to run after him and apologize for his behaviour.

But the prince was also gone from his line of sight, however that didn’t dull Sorey’s mood. They were to be meeting again soon, no?

The prince didn’t specify when they would meet up, but Sorey found himself looking forward to when they finally would. It had been a while since he had a good debate, after all.

He grinned, watching the streets of Ladylake below. Seraphim or not, royalty or not, perhaps he did like Mikleo.


	2. Hospitality and the Lack Thereof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a while since I wrote the first chapter, mm? But, I was incredibly busy. It took me a while to write this chapter, but I'm glad to say that it's finally out, and I'm hoping that chapters to come would come at a quicker rate. Thank you all who commented and left kudos on the first chapter. Without that, I wouldn't have felt the desire to continue <3

These were Sorey’s favourite kind of days. The wind on the tops of mountains were usually harsh, but today, it was light and fresh, keeping Sorey cool from the sun’s relentless rays. He was laying on a flat rock, a prickleboar beside him. He had just finished hunting and it was only natural for somebody to want to enjoy this weather and take a rest before returning. 

It wasn’t difficult hunting prickleboars, no, not at all. Sorey simply needed a break. It had been exactly three days since he finished working his butt off to pay his fines for trespassing in the Galahad Ruins. Nearly two weeks of non-stop work to compensate for an hour of exploring. It wasn’t something he would like to do again.

...Then again, it was because he got caught that Sorey met Mikleo, who had yet to leave his mind. Two weeks since they found each other in the depths of the Galahad Ruins. Two weeks since Mikleo promised Sorey that they would meet again. He looked serious when he said it, but two weeks was a long time. Of course, Sorey was busy himself, and Mikleo must have been — he  _ was _ the prince of Ladylake after all — but that didn’t help Sorey’s longing.

Since that day, Sorey had been taking to refining and perfecting his notes and research in hopes that he’d be able to convince Mikleo that the ruins  _ were _ built during the Era of Asgard. Of course, he was careful to judge his research from alternative viewpoints, but that job was for Mikleo. If he really meant that they would meet again. 

He let out a deep breath. Mikleo wasn’t completely to blame, not when Sorey had been spending most of his time in Elysia instead of Ladylake. He was eighteen and he still let himself get grounded by Gramps, and like the obedient person he was, Sorey let himself follow every one of Gramp’s orders. If he weren’t sleeping right now, Sorey probably would have already been back from hunting prickleboars, lest he be subject to another scolding. 

_ I wonder what Mikleo is doing… _

Was he, too, stuck listening to orders? Of course, Sorey didn’t mind helping out Gramps, and he had to pay off his fines somehow, but he wondered if Mikleo was in the same situation. Were there any orders he had to listen to in the castle, or was he the one giving them?

Just like that, it began. A barrage of never-ending questions began to assault Sorey’s mind and he was tempted to shut his eyes and fall asleep to stop them, but something caught his eye. A flash of blue appeared, for a split second, between the dull brown and green of the forest. Sorey sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Great. He was thinking so much about Mikleo and now he was hallucinating. Sorey groaned and lay back down, resting his arm above his eyes, his other arm across his stomach. He hadn't been able visit Ladylake to speak with Rose, and he was too busy in Elysia to talk with any of the villagers. His loneliness was more apparent than Sorey originally thought, considering he was beginning to see things.

“Sorey..?”

And now he was imagining Mikleo’s voice too. Softer, unlike the tone Mikleo used when he spoke to Sorey in the ruins. At this rate, Sorey wouldn’t be surprised if he fell asleep and  _ dreamed _ about Mik— 

“Sorey!”

No, that voice wasn’t a hallucination! Sorey immediately bolted upwards, and bumped his head against something hard. A sharp pain erupted where he banged his head as he cried out in pain and clutched his hand to his forehead, where he was sure a lump the size of Rayfalke was growing. He heard another cry of pain alongside his own, and a voice that didn't belong to him.

“W-What was that for?!”

No, no, it really  _ wasn’t _ a hallucination! That voice was real, and that voice belonged to…!

Sorey looked down to the grass below, where a certain blue-haired boy was sitting down, rubbing his nose. Mikleo..! It was Mikleo! Sorey jumped down from the rock, forgetting about his pain as he rushed to Mikleo’s side. 

“Mikleo..?! Are you alright? What are you doing here?”

“I was alright before you banged your head on mine.” Mikleo groaned, eyes shut. 

“Sorry…” Sorey said. So that was what Sorey hit. “But... you shouldn’t have startled me like that!”

“You didn’t hear me the first time, so I thought you were sleeping,” Mikleo stopped rubbing his nose and looked at Sorey, who could only shake his head with a smile.

“Even if I was sleeping, I think you would’ve woken me up,” Sorey couldn’t hold back a tiny grin. He decided to voice his earlier question. He was sure he knew the answer, but he had to make sure that he really  _ wasn’t _ dreaming.  “What are you doing here?”

“The people at the castle are busy. I thought I’d sneak out to go see you. After all, I promised that we would meet again, no?” Mikleo replied. He stood, and offered his hand to Sorey. Sorey took it and let Mikleo haul him to his feet. So it was true. Mikleo did want to meet with Sorey. “It’s been a while since I left the castle. I was worried that I may have gotten lost in the forest.”

“Wait,” Sorey started. “You came here all by yourself?”

“I did.”

“Isn’t it dangerous for somebody like you to go through this forest alone?”

“I am quite capable of protecting myself.”

...Right. Sorey knew that. Still, he couldn’t help himself from worrying over Mikleo’s safety and at the same time, feel almost  _ proud _ that Mikleo had gone all this way to meet with Sorey. He didn’t know how to act, if he should scold or thank Mikleo. So, Sorey did the most logical thing.

He hugged Mikleo.

It was for a split second, but it was long enough to feel Mikleo tense up under his arms, and when Sorey released him, his cheeks were a bright red. 

“Thanks for coming here,” Sorey said with a smile. “I was thinking that you had forgotten about me.”

“I-It was nothing, and of course I wouldn’t forget,” Mikleo muttered, averting his eyes from Sorey’s face. “So, why don’t you introduce me to your village?”

His voice was a higher pitch than normal, but he hadn’t killed Sorey with one of his seraphic artes, so it must have been okay to hug him. But… did he… know it was a hug? Or did seraphim show affection in other manners? Either way, he didn’t say anything. It must have been okay, right?

“Ahem,” Mikleo cleared his throat, snapping Sorey out of his daze before the questions started again. 

“It’s up ahead. But, um…” Sorey motioned to the still prickleboar lying some feet away. “I need to carry this back to the village.”

“You were out hunting?” Mikleo asked. Sorey nodded.

“It’s my dinner for tonight. Hold on for a sec—” Sorey lifted the prickleboar into his arms with a grunt. It was a smaller one, but heavy nonetheless. “There we go. You ready?”

“Lead the way.”

Sorey began to start in the direction of Elysia, but stopped. Mikleo. He was wearing clothes that were less extravagant than the ones he had on in the Galahad Ruins, and they were hidden under a cloak, but his hair… 

“Um… Mikleo?”

“Is something the matter?”

“Your cloak has a hood, right?” 

Mikleo cocked his head in confusion. “...Yes, it does. What of it?”

“Can you put it on?” Sorey asked. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for the villagers to notice you in Elyisa. It would cause a pretty big ruckus if they saw the prince of Ladylake here.”

The prince of Ladylake  _ and _ a seraph to boot. Seraphim didn’t travel near Elysia often and there was no telling how the villagers may react. But of course, Mikleo didn’t make things easy. 

“Is that so? Whenever I walk around Ladylake, nobody seems to pay me much notice,” Mikleo said, shrugging.

“Really.”

“Yes. Most of the time, they ignore me.”

Sorey didn’t have the heart to tell him why. Instead, he mustered the best smile he could and said, “If you walk into Elysia, you’ll wish that they were ignoring you instead. The people there will swarm you and never leave you alone. You’ll barely have any space to breathe!”

“I-I see. I suppose you’re right, then.” Mikleo said, throwing his hood over his head. Sorey held back the desire to yell ‘Thank Maotelus’. Considering Mikleo’s perceptive behaviour back in the ruins, he expected him to easily see through Sorey’s lie, but that didn’t seem to be the case this time. Perhaps being so far out in unfamiliar lands rattled him. Sorey wasn’t complaining. 

“Is this better?” Mikleo said. The hood did a good job of covering most of his hair, but if someone were to look closely… Sorey could only hope that Mikleo’s abilities to sneak out of his castle undetected worked in Elysia too. Well, it’ll have to do. 

“It’s perfect,” Sorey said. Mikleo visibly relaxed as he drew closer to Sorey. “Come on, it’s this way.”

* * *

 

It was only until Sorey had his hand on the door to his house did he realize that his house was in no condition for any visitors, much less a prince. It wasn’t exactly horrendous per se, but it was cluttered enough to make Sorey hesitate before turning open the door.

Boy, was it worse than he imagined.

There were stacks of books and papers scattered about in a seemingly careless manner, those of which Sorey had been studying in anticipation for his and Mikleo’s future encounter. His fireplace was barren, his bed unmade, half of the blanket on the floor. A forgotten cup of coffee sat on the worn floorboards. Surely there would be a stain underneath by now.

Sorey turned to Mikleo, an apology on his lips, but before he could get them out, Mikleo spoke.

“Are all these books yours?”

“Y-Yeah, they are. I guess you could say that I’m a bit of a bookworm. Sorry about the—”

“It’s fine. I came unexpected, after all.” Mikleo replied with a casual wave of his hand.

“It’s not normally like this, I swear,” Sorey felt his cheeks burn with a sensation that was becoming all too familiar. 

“I believe you. So… are you going to let me in?”

“A-After you!” Sorey pushed open the door further, light spilling into his house, further showing off what a mess he’d made. He cringed, but Mikleo paid him no heed. With a respectful nod, he entered, Sorey right behind him. He let the door shut as Mikleo pulled off his hood.

“I hope it’s alright for me to do this?” Mikleo asked. Sorey was tempted to point out that he already took off his hood before asking, but he managed to control himself.

“Yeah, it is. Nobody comes in here without knocking, so we’ll be fine,” Sorey said as he pulled off his boots and placed them by the door. He straightened up to see Mikleo staring perplexedly at him.

“Is something wrong?” Sorey said. Was he being too casual..?

“You’re allowed to take off your shoes in your house?” Mikleo’s eyes were wide and Sorey would have thought he was joking if it weren’t for his baffled tone of voice.

“You’re not allowed to take off your shoes?” Sorey said.

“I am, of course, but only when in bed or showering.” Mikleo brought a hand to his chin. “It appears that I was mistaken in assuming it would be the same here.”

“I mean, this is my own home, right? You share the castle with other people, so I guess it would be strange to walk barefoot there,” Sorey scratched the back of his head. This seemed to comfort Mikleo, as he let his hand drop back to his side. Now, however, he was staring at Sorey expectantly. 

What was Sorey supposed to do? He’d never had much people come to his house, and when they had, they usually weren’t there to spend much time in it. Was he supposed to bring Mikleo directly to the notes he spent so much time on? Or would that be too forward? No, no, he needed to introduce that slowly, and for that, he needed to…

“W-Would you… would you like some tea?” Sorey choked out, before the silence between them became  _ too  _ awkward. 

Mikleo gave the barest hint of a smile. “Yes, that would be lovely.”

“Alright. Make yourself at home!” Sorey said, and before Mikleo could question what that meant — Sorey didn’t know the answer either, if he was perfectly honest — he turned away and walked off to where a kettle hung over the remains of a fire. It was still half-full from earlier, enough for the two of them. Excellent. 

Sorey picked up a forgotten piece of flint from beside the firewood and struck it once, twice, three times until there was a roaring fire underneath the kettle. Sorey looked behind himself. Mikleo’s hands were behind his back as he was idly looking over the many books that Sorey left lying around, his body stiff. He seemed interested enough, but keeping him waiting wouldn’t be good.

Or giving him bad tea. That would be worse.

Sorey had only one type of tea in his house, and he couldn’t even remember what it was. Rose had given it to him, saying that it was extra and she didn’t need it. He picked up the tea bag and held it close to his nose. It had a faint aromatic scent, and it smelt vaguely familiar, but nothing came to mind.

Well, considering Rose had sold it for quite a fair bit, it must be something good, right? It wasn’t as though Sorey had any other choice. The kettle was beginning to whistle. He threw a tea bag into two cups and pulled the kettle off the fire. He poured it into the cups, steam slowly rising into the air. Setting the two cups on a tray, Sorey pulled out a box of sugar cubes. 

He probably could have done something a lot more lavish, but it would have to do. Balancing the tray precariously in his arms, Sorey walked over to Mikleo, who was flipping through the pages of a book he must have picked up off the ground.

“Hey, Mikleo? The tea’s done.” Sorey called out, but Mikleo didn’t respond. He tried again, this time a little louder. “Mikleo? You listening?”

Sorey peered over Mikleo’s shoulder, and his heart stopped. With a yelp, Mikleo jumped away, shutting the book and clasping it to his chest in fright. That frayed book, worn with age and use, filled with papers sticking out of the pages and hidden notes scrawled in the margins…

“That’s my Celestial Record.” Sorey said breathlessly. It was also his most treasured possession. Mikleo, realizing what he was doing, set the book down and hastily brushed his clothes off. 

Mikeo cleared his throat. “I apologize for touching it without your permission, it’s just that I’ve never seen it before and it’s supposedly the most important book related to ancient history, I thought I’d just...”

There it was again. That same childish excitement that lit up Mikleo’s eyes whenever he spoke about ancient history. Normally, Sorey wasn’t fond of people touching the Celestial Record, after all, it was perhaps the most rare artifact Sorey had been able to get his hands on. But, there was something about Mikleo. Never before had Sorey seen somebody as interested as he was in ancient history, and if Mikleo understood the importance of the Celestial Record, surely it would be fine to let him touch it.

“You don’t have it in your castle?” Sorey inquired. He knew the Celestial Record wasn’t common by any means, but the castle of Hyland  _ should _ have been able to get its hands on one.

“No. The text is forbidden in the castle, for reasons I’ve never been told,” Mikleo stated. He looked bothered by this, Sorey remarked.

“Do you have any idea why it’s forbidden?”

“I have many, but a lot are outlandish. I’ve seen books banned from the castle for simply having ‘uncouth’ language, whatever that may mean. I checked it out myself, and it’s really not all that bad. I suppose the people at the castle are petty like that." Mikleo shrugged.

“That’s…  strange.” Sorey admitted. Forbidden books? Why would Hyland ban any books from the castle? Banning them from commoners is one thing, but from their own prince? Sorey resisted the urge to pry more information out of Mikleo. It wasn’t his place to do so. Still…

“I can show it to you later, if you want.”

Mikleo inhaled sharply, eyes wide. “I can look at it?”

“Yeah, of course. You seemed to be pretty into it.”

“That would be wonderful!” Mikleo said. Then, as if he realized how improper he had been, Mikleo straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course, this won’t help you in our debate to come.”

Their debate. Sorey had let it slip his mind. That was why Mikleo was here in the first place. “You can wait here. I’ll grab my notes,” Sorey said. He set down the tray on the ground, cups still steaming. Mikleo took one and blew over the top of it as Sorey fled the scene, in a hurry to leave so he wouldn’t see Mikleo’s expression when he would finally take a sip.

Thankfully, when Sorey returned with his notebooks, Mikleo seemed to have been enjoying the tea, as the cup was still in his hand, the warm liquid inside lower than it had been previously. From under his cloak, Mikleo brandished a notebook of his own, it was smaller than Sorey’s, but he must have thought it would be suitable enough.

“Alright,” Sorey said, sitting down next to Mikleo with a grunt. “Where do you want to begin?”

“Well,” Mikleo started. “There was that one observation you made in the Galahad Ruins, about the details in the carvings…”

And so it began. Back and forth, Sorey and Mikleo would toss their own hypothesis, facts and observations at each other, constantly tearing apart the other’s research to find any sort of issue hidden beneath hours of studies. Debates were supposed to have winners and losers, but Sorey found himself not caring if and when Mikleo would point out an incorrect assumption or fact, for he would do the same just as easily. 

Never before had Sorey been challenged like this, and it was exhilarating to be finally tested on his knowledge. Of course, like any other test, it was possible to fail them and fail this test Sorey did. With a smug grin, Mikleo leaned back as Sorey accepted his defeat.

“Okay, okay, so the ruins weren’t built in the Era of Asgard,” Sorey raised his hands in surrender. “But my interpretations made sense, right?”

“I suppose they did,” Mikleo said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “But I do admit that you caught me quite off guard. I never expected such information to come from somebody like you.”

_ Somebody like me? _

Sorey chose not to question it. “Same here. Do you want your prize?”

“My… prize?”

“You won the debate, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but we didn’t formally agree on giving the winner any sort of gift.”

“That’s alright. You wanted to look at the Celestial Record anyway, right?

Just like that, Mikleo lost any resolve to argue as he watched Sorey pull out the Celestial Record with star-struck eyes. He scooted closer, pushing aside his own papers in the process, as Sorey opened to the first page. 

“It’s in the ancient tongue, so I haven’t been able to read all of it yet,” Sorey said.

“How much have you gotten through?”

“If I had to guess… fifteen percent?” In Sorey’s defense, the book was in a language unfamiliar to humans. Perhaps, just perhaps, if Mikleo took a look at the book, he would be able to decipher the language far faster than Sorey could ever wish for…

“May I take a look?” Mikleo asked. Sorey nodded. With careful hands, Mikleo slowly turned the page of the Celestial Record, eyes rapidly scanning the ink on the pages. He casually flipped through, though it was a mystery as to whether he understood or not.

Mikleo paused, taking a moment to read over a tiny note Sorey had scribbled into the margins. He smirked. “You translated it incorrectly here.”

“What?”

“I don’t blame you, that’s a particularly confusing passage. If you’d like, I can help you translate the Celestial Record. I’ve been studying the ancient tongue since I was a child.” Mikleo offered.

Did he say… a child? With each moment Sorey spent with Mikleo, he was learning more and more about him. Rarely did anybody come across a young seraph, and judging from Mikleo’s body — it really was awkward to talk to a prince that was shorter than you without trying to appear as though you’re looking down on them — he was younger than most seraphim. But, how long was “since I was a child?” Could it be ten years? Twenty? 

No, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Mikleo had offered to help Sorey translate the Celestial Record, a task Sorey would be foolish to turn down. With a smile, Sorey nodded his head. “Yeah, that would be great! Do you want to start at the beginning?”

“If that’s alright with you.”

Sorey’s heart leapt as he flipped back to the first page. Leaning close enough so that their arms were touching, Sorey and Mikleo began to read the Celestial Record. Though Sorey had already translated the passages, it still felt like a new experience to do it with somebody else. They had only managed to make it past the five percent mark, if Sorey had to guess, before the sun began to sink in the sky and Mikleo said that he had to leave.

Sorey was disappointed — the next couple of paragraphs were ones he believed Mikleo would enjoy, but he couldn’t exactly keep Mikleo forever. He had his own duties at the castle, and he himself had a prickleboar to cook for dinner, a task that takes quite a fair bit of time.

Leaving behind empty cups and scattered sheets of paper, the two left Sorey’s house, Mikleo’s hood back over his head. Mikleo had insisted that he would be fine travelling alone, but Sorey demanded to be the one to escort Mikleo out of the village. The walk to and out of the forest was long, and quiet, but the silence between the two was no longer awkward, but comforting as they listened to the birds sing their nightly tunes.

Ladylake looked magnificent in the setting sun. It was just like last time, those two weeks ago, when Sorey and Mikleo first met. And, like last time, Mikleo left with the promise to meet again on his lips.

And so it began. A tradition, of the sorts. Once a week — or twice, if they were lucky — Mikleo would manage to find some time to sneak out of the castle and meet with Sorey in Elysia or the forests surrounding it. Together, they read the Celestial Record, and soon, their conversations began to dwindle away from ancient history and more to each other’s personal lives.

It was a bit of a shock to Mikleo when he learned about Sorey’s daily schedule and habits, while not so much for Sorey. It was easy to imagine what a prince lived like. While Mikleo was confused by a lot of the habits humans had — “What exactly is a bedtime, Sorey?” — he more than made up for it with his willingness to learn.

Mikleo was particularly shocked to hear that Sorey had the ability to travel wherever he liked, so long as he warned his grandfather about it beforehand (that was something else Mikleo didn’t understand. “How could you call a person not related by blood your grandfather?” Mikleo had asked once). He said his mother worried too much to let him go outside of the castle whenever he wished. Unfortunately, Sorey didn’t have a mother to worry over him.

But, all good things must come to an end. It was only a matter of time before —

* * *

 

“Three weeks, Mother!”

Mikleo couldn’t help but scowl and cross his arms as he stared at his mother, who returned his gaze with an equally cross look. They were both dressed fine clothes befitting for their statuses, Muse with a cloak that grazed the floor, and yet here they were, arguing about such frivolous affairs like children.

To Mikleo, however, it was more than frivolous. It was more than a case of cabin-fever. Three weeks since Mikleo had ventured out of the castle, which was quickly becoming more like a prison, and he was at his breaking point. He had argued with Muse previously, but today, he was determined not to lose.

“I  _ know _ , Mikleo,” Muse replied tiredly. “But you must understand that it is for your own safety. I can’t have you wandering outside alone, nor can I spare any knights to be your escort.”

“I am capable of protecting myself.”

“If you continue to avoid your lessons, then your strength will never be powerful enough to quell any hellions, Mikleo.”

“I’ll go to my lessons if that’s what it takes to let me out of this castle.”

“Even if you do go, I cannot leave let you leave. It’s too dangerous, you won’t be safe!”

“I should be safe in Ladylake! I won’t be attacked, I’m the  _ prince _ of Ladylake!”

“Then you should  _ act _ like one,” Muse fired back, and Mikleo could only gape at her response. Muse, realizing just how cruel her words were, shook her head and embraced Mikleo. When she broke apart, she kept her hands on his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Mikleo. I’ve noticed that your desire to leave has only grown stronger, but you must try to understand. It’s not safe for you to travel outside not because you are a prince, because you are a seraph.” Muse whispered. Mikleo could only look away in shame.

“That has never caused me issues before. Besides, would it not be better for the humans to see a seraphim travelling amongst them to show that seraphim aren’t so different?” Mikleo asked. Muse sighed and removed her hands from Mikleo’s shoulders.

“I agree with you there.” Muse adjusted her circlet, a habit that she performed whenever deep in thought. What she could be thinking about, Mikleo did not know. “But not now. I’m worried about what the humans may think.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mikleo finally turned his head to meet his mother’s gaze.

“Human and seraphim relations have been strained as of late. You must know of this already, correct?” Muse asked. Mikleo nodded. They have been, but he did not know exactly how serious it was. “There has been a wandering seraph causing trouble lately and humans have become wary of us seraphim. I think it’s best to keep some distance between us for now.”

“But—”

“Mikleo. Please, listen to me. I promise you that once I solve this issue, I will let you leave the castle. I promise.”

He had lost. “...Very well.” Mikleo sighed. He had lost track of how many times he had pestered his mother, and each time he had failed.

“Thank you for understanding.” Muse leaned in and gave Mikleo a peck on the cheek. He didn’t bother saying that he didn’t understand. He disagreed with his mother’s actions, but then again, he had been wrong in the past before. She had more experience dealing with problems like this. Still, that did not stop Mikleo from getting annoyed. Why should he have to pay for the actions of that one seraph? “Now, why don’t you start attending your lessons? I have some work to attend to.”

“Is Lailah available?” Mikleo did not  _ hate _ his lessons, and he certainly did not hate Lailah, but sitting in a room, practicing the same simple artes over and over again… He had mastered them years ago, but Lailah insisted that Mikleo still practice them. "Just in case", she always said. Mikleo held back a sigh. If this was what it would take to go outside the castle, then so be it.

“I believe Lady Lailah is in the right wing of the castle. Take care, Mikleo.” With that, Muse walked off, her cloak billowing behind her. Mikleo watched her turn a corner out of his sight, before he groaned. 

The walk to the right wing was short, thank goodness, for it prevented Mikleo from repeating Muse’s words in his head. She kept asking him to understand and yet she never explained  _ anything! Why _ would the humans perceive Mikleo as someone dangerous, when he had never even summoned his staff in front of a human?

Well, with one exception. But Sorey hadn’t run away screaming or did anything of the sort. He did not seem afraid at all. Was this not proof that humans could understand a seraphim’s power? Numerous times, Mikleo had thought of bringing this up to his mother, but there was no way he would be able to tell her that he fought a hellion. If she heard of this, he most likely wouldn’t even be able to leave his bedroom.

The faint sound of a conversation came from across the castle’s expansive hallway, and at the end of it were two familiar figures. Lailah, and Mikleo’s subordinate, Uno. They looked to be deep in conversation and Mikleo was never one to be rude enough to interrupt. 

He debated about whether or not to just leave, but where would he go? There was nothing to do in his bedroom, the flowers in the courtyard looked beautiful, but even they got boring after the eighteenth time staring at them. He didn’t want to go to the castle library. In fact, Mikleo had been avoiding it for some time, for it reminded him of ancient history, which reminded him of Sorey, which reminded him that he was stuck inside the castle.

Thankfully — or perhaps not — Mikleo was spared from his many choices of where to go and be bored, as Uno did a quick bow and left, walking in the opposite direction Mikleo came from. Mikleo stepped into the hallway, announcing his presence with loud footsteps. Lailah turned, and upon seeing who it was, smiled. 

“Hello, Mikleo. How are you?” Lailah chirped, always so positive.

“I’m… fine.” 

“Are you sure?” Lailah leaned forward and stared at Mikleo with those blue eyes of hers and he found himself unable to continue his lie.

Mikleo sighed. He couldn’t be blamed. It was impossible to lie to somebody as earnest as Lailah. “No. I just had an argument with my mother about going outside again.”

“I see. Yes, I’ve noticed that your concentration has been wavering in our studies.”

“I can’t concentrate in a place like this. I need someplace new.”

“Her Majesty is doing this only to protect you, Mikleo.”

“That’s what she told me, too.”

Lailah gave a sigh of her own in response. “Unfortunately, it’s true, and I agree with her on that. It’s far too dangerous for an inexperienced seraph like you to be wandering around.”

“Inexperience?!” Mikleo spluttered. “I-I’m not—”

“You would be a target for assassins, whether they be seraphim or not. I’m sure Her Majesty has told you about the wandering seraph?”

“She has. But she only told me that they were causing trouble.”

“Trouble…” Lailah gazed outside the castle window, to the streets of Ladylake below.

“Do you know something about the seraph, Lailah?”

“Your mother did not tell you? The seraph was spotted on the outskirts of Ladylake by a human.”

“And..?”

“The human saw the seraph kill another human. No, that’s not it..." Lailah paused, hesitant, but she continued nonetheless. "To us, the seraph had killed a hellion, but to humans, they saw it as a murder.” Lailah clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest. “The human was just beginning to turn into a hellion. I suppose the seraph believed that they could not be saved.”

“So that’s why the humans are distressed? They thought a seraph murdered one of them?” Mikleo asked incredulously.

“Yes. There have been copious amounts of malevolence floating about ever since. Many seraphim are hiding from the humans.” Lailah continued, voice solemn. “Her Majesty is trying her best to reduce the malevolence.”

“Why can’t we just explain to the humans about malevolence?” Mikleo demanded, and Lailah turned to Mikleo with a stern gaze in her eyes.

“Mikleo, you have the right mind for this, but it is not so easy. The humans cannot see the malevolence they cause. There is no telling what will happen if they learn about the malevolence. They may grow panicked, knowing that the malevolence they emit is the same thing that turns humans into hellions.”

“Which will only create more malevolence.”

“Yes.”

“And there’s no way to get rid of it. If only we could purify the malevolence, like the seraphim of the past did, then maybe—”

“Purifying malevolence is no easy task, Mikleo. It takes a great deal of effort and time into learning how to eliminate malevolence. As of now, it’s impossible to practice the powers of purification. Ever since…” Lailah’s voice trailed off.

“It’s alright, Lailah.” Mikleo said hastily, and he was rewarded with a relieved expression from Lailah. From the other seraphim in the castle, Mikleo had heard many things about Lailah’s past, and one of them was that it was something painful. “You don’t need to talk about it. I understand.”

“Thank you, Mikleo.” Lailah replied. “I… must be off. An issue has risen within the knights that I need to take care of.”

She didn't sat it out loud, but both knew that she wanted to leave to avoid discussing her past. "Is it something bad?”

Lailah shook her head. “Not at all. It’s a simple issue, you don’t need to trouble yourself.”

“If you say so. But if you need help, just come to me, Lailah. I’ll do what I can.” Mikleo said. It was the least he could do after forcing Lailah to think about her past, though he didn’t voice it. That would only make matters worse.

Lailah only smiled in response as she left Mikleo standing in the hallway, much like Muse had. Only when her flowing white hair disappear at the end of the hallway did Mikleo remember his lessons. He had forgotten to ask Lailah, but it was unlikely that she would have been able to teach him anyway. He couldn't do anything. 

Lessons were a pain, but at least they offered Mikleo something to do. Without Lailah, there was nothing. With one last look out the window, Mikleo turned and walked off, not caring where his feet led him. When he finally lifted his head, he was at the door of his bedroom. He pushed open the door, the faint scent of flowers assaulting his nose.

Everything was clean and in order. Somebody must have came in earlier and tidied what little mess Mikleo must have made. He threw himself onto his bed, staring at the ceiling above. His bedroom was nice, yes. It offered a great view of Ladylake, and it had all the books and materials he needed for his interests.

But what was missing was a sense of home. It was empty. The only thing his bedroom lacked was bars over the windows, and then the prison his room had become would be complete. There were no stains of coffee cups on the ground or loose papers. All his books were in a perfect condition, unlike the used, dog-eared ones Sorey had. There was no personality.

_ Sorey… _

More than anything, Mikleo wanted to visit Elysia. He was enticed by the ways in which humans lived. He wanted to visit a place far away, where he could wander wherever he liked. Where he didn’t have to worry about running a country or staying out of trouble or malevolence. He wanted to see Sorey again, a human that somehow managed to capture his attention. Sorey, who helped Mikleo forget his duties and treated Mikleo as an equal, not somebody higher or lower than him, but as an equal. Sorey, who called Mikleo a "friend"...

A friend. Mikleo had friends, yes, but none like Sorey. He could only hope that Sorey saw the same in Mikleo. Perhaps he would ask him that the next time he saw him.

Mikleo rolled over onto his side. This was naught but wistful thinking. He was trapped here and he would be trapped here for who knows how long. Perhaps there would never be a next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to update soon, but I'm afraid I can't offer an estimate...


	3. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... I really do apologize for the long wait. For some reason, I lost all motivation to write in August. I've been slowly salvaging what's left, but I suppose anything I'd say will only sound like an excuse, so without further ado, here's the third chapter. Please, enjoy~

“Have a good day!”

“Thanks! You too.”

Sorey grinned, an act mirrored by the shopkeeper as Sorey grasped at the pastries he had bought. They seemed to be a sweeter variant of mabo curry buns, though he wasn’t quite sure what exactly they were. With a wave, Sorey exited the store and dove into the busy streets of Ladylake, the pastries held protectively to his chest, lest somebody knock it out of his hands.

He was planning to go to the town’s library, but it seemed unlikely that he would be allowed inside. He wasn’t complaining. The weather was lovely. It was the perfect excuse to enjoy a snack out in a park. The tricky part was getting to the park and eating the pastries before they went cold.

Sorey weaved through the people of Ladylake, occasionally sharing a smile with a passerby as he heading in the general direction of the park. He breathed in the aroma of the pastries and his stomach growled. Whatever they were, they certainly smelled delicious enough. Sorey ducked into a nearby alleyway. A shortcut to the park.

In the alley, the sounds of the street were all but muffled as Sorey treaded deeper inside. There weren’t even rats scampering about, Sorey remarked. It was like he entered a different dimension. The silence wasn’t so bad, however. It was a nice break from the chatter heard in the streets.

That didn’t mean that the alley was any safer, but thankfully, Sorey managed to make it to the end without any confrontation with thieves or anybody of the sort. Until he saw a figure hiding in the shadows, back to the wall and arms crossed. They were dressed in black, eyes hidden behind a curtain of hair, tall and imposing and definitely a sight to run from.

If you didn’t know who they were.

For Sorey, he instead waved a hand as he walked towards the figure, a smile growing on his face as he called out, “Dezel!”

Dezel’s head snapped upwards in response to Sorey’s voice. “Sorey.” He greeted, still leaning against the wall.

“Hey. How are you doing?” Sorey asked.

“...Fine. Rose isn’t here.”

“I can tell.”

“The Sparrowfeathers are out of town. They’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t be like that, Dezel,” Sorey lightly pushed Dezel, who, as expected, didn’t budge a bit. “What if I wanted to talk to you?”

Dezel scoffed and pulled his hat lower down. It made no difference. Even without his hat, nobody could see his eyes because of all that hair. Sorey held out one of the pastries to Dezel.

“Do you want one?” Sorey offered. Dezel shook his head. “You sure? Okay then. So… what are you doing here?”

“Business.”

“...You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you, but it doesn’t look like you’re doing much of anything right now.”

Dezel only ‘tched’ in response and that was probably all Sorey was going to get out of him. He supposed he could always ask Rose, but then again, it was none of his business. Either way, it was a gorgeous day and he was _not_ going to let Dezel lurk in an alleyway on a day like this.

“I was just heading to the park. Do you want to come with me?”

"...Maybe."

“C’mon, maybe you’ll see a cute dog or something!”

“...Shut up.” Dezel said, but he stood straight nonetheless, and began to walk out of the alleyway. Sorey held back a chuckle as he joined Dezel to walk beside him. They walked in silence. Dezel was never the talkative type, and he always hated small talk that was just there to kill time.

_I wonder what’s worse. An awkward silence or an awkward conversation?_

At the very least, the silence between them wasn’t awkward. They were both used to it and the bustle of the town more than made up for the lack of talk. Sorey couldn’t help but grin as they passed by busy shopkeepers and travelling merchants and children clinging onto their parent’s hands and marching knights and there was just _so_ much to look at! Elysia was nothing like this.

Then Sorey’s grin faded into something more of a frown as he heard a loud scream from the end of the street.

No words were needed between the two. Sorey and Dezel both began to run towards the source of the sound, pushing past people that were frozen in fear. Sorey’s blood ran cold when they finally saw who had screamed.

“Felice!” Dezel called out as he broke into a sprint. It was the Sparrowfeathers. She had a deep red gash in her side, her brother Talfryn holding her up. They stood in front of their cart, which looked as though it had better days, while soldiers were swarming the twins.

“Dezel!” Talfryn’s face brightened upon seeing Dezel for a split second, before returning back to his terrified expression.

“What’s the matter? Where’s Rose?” Dezel roughly shoved aside a guard as he reached Talfryn and helped Felice to the ground, whose face was beginning to pale.

“We were attacked by hellions outside the city walls! Rose and Eguille held them off, but there’s too many of them!” Talfryn cried out. “Please, Dezel, you need to save them!”

“I’ll go with you!” Sorey said.

“Let’s go.” Dezel took one of the horses in front of the cart and untied it, tossing the rope carelessly to the ground. He and Sorey climbed onto the horse, Sorey clutching Dezel’s coat as the horse started to run out of the city. Dezel hadn’t asked where they came from. He must of known already.

Good. That would save time. The less time they needed to get to Rose and Eguille, the better. The Sparrowfeathers were a capable bunch, but if the twins were truly terrified, then they were definitely in trouble.

_Rose… we’re coming!_

* * *

 

_Of all the —_

At this rate, Mikleo was going to die of stress before he even became a toddler in seraph years. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he stared at the chaos unfolding before him. Two knights, from Maltran’s division, arguing. Loudly. In the castle gardens. Which they were supposed to be guarding. _Honestly._ Mikleo came outside for some fresh air in an attempt to relieve his stress, which now seemed hell-bent on following him wherever he went.

With a sigh, he got up from the fountain he had been sitting on. He couldn’t tell what the soldiers were arguing about, as the fountain was drowning their voices out, but it sounded like it was about to get violent. Finding the soldiers was easy enough. All he had to do was to follow their voices, a task even a deaf dog could accomplish.

“We’re not their slaves!”

“They’re not treating us as one!”

“Yeah, and I’m the king of Ladylake.”

Their faces were inches away from each other, and Mikleo was sure that spit was flying from both. At the very least, he could be happy that they were in the privacy of his garden, where the public’s prying eyes were far. Mikleo stopped, barely hiding behind a shrub, as he listened to their rising voices.

“We’re knights! What other choice do we have but to defend the kingdom? It’s our sworn duty!”

“Then why’re we here, guarding the castle? Last time I checked, the hellions aren’t anywhere _near_ the castle. They’re all outside Ladylake!”

“And assassins—”

Mikleo pursed his lips, but stayed hidden nonetheless.

“Stop trying to justify it! You’re acting like some kinda brainwashed lapdog.”

“I can think for myself, thank you very much!”

“Sure you can. Why don’t you just go run on back to your post? Some scary assassins might try to kill the queen while you’re not looking.” The knight’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Don’t order me around!”

“Why not? You always follow the orders from the seraphim without a second thought.”

So that’s what their argument was about. If Mikleo had been having a better day, he would have found out what got that one knight so angry. But it wasn’t a better day, it was a terrible day that was quickly going downhill. Mikleo audibly cleared his throat and marched towards the knights, who stopped arguing the moment Mikleo came into view.

“Your Highness!” The knight — the one called “lapdog” — saluted without hesitation, while it took some time for the other to repeat the action.

“Is there a problem?” Mikleo hissed, eyes narrowed to slits and voice cold.

“N-Not at all, Your Highness!”

“That’s not what it seemed like.”

Silence. Glorious silence. Mikleo didn’t wait for a response. “You are under Maltran’s command, yes?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What are your names?”

“...Enid,” the first responded, with some hesitation. The other one shot her a filthy look before answering herself.

“Rodine,” she all but spat. She must have truly been angry if she was willing to give Mikleo this much lip.

“Very well. I will speak to Lady Maltran about this. Should another issue arise regarding you two, you will be punished. Am I understood?” Mikleo said. They nodded in response. “Go back to your duties.”

“Yes, sir.” They both responded, and without another word, they began to walk to the garden’s entrance, quite stiffly, Mikleo remarked. _What a bother._ What _were_ two of Maltran’s knights doing in the castle garden? If he recalled correctly, they were to be working with Lailah’s knights today, dealing with hellions outside the front entrance of Ladylake.

Mikleo dragged his hand down his face with a groan. Wanting a single moment to relax in his garden was too much to ask for, apparently. He cursed Maltran for being too slack with her knights. Normally she was the one most strict on her knights.

With Lailah gone and his mother busy (though to speak the truth, Mikleo was still a bit annoyed over their argument), it seemed like he would need to be the one to solve the problem. With a sigh, he started in the direction of the barracks. If Maltran wasn’t there, perhaps he would be able to interrogate one of her knights.

Unfortunately, neither Maltran nor any of her knights were in the barracks. In fact, they were completely devoid of all people. This time, the silence wasn’t something Mikleo desired. _Where were the knights?_ Mikleo struggled to recall where the knights were.

Lailah’s forces were dealing with the hellion issue, with assistance from Maltran and three of her knights. The rest were to be guarding Ladylake along with Morgrim’s knights. But all of Maltran’s forces shouldn’t have been guarding Ladylake. They should have been in the barracks, preparing for their next shift.

_Slackers._

There were most likely out in town. He couldn’t blame them. It must have been a relief to finally be free of Maltran’s watchful eye. Either way, they were still avoiding their duties. Mikleo made a mental note to tell this to Maltran later. There would be no need to step in, surely she would punish them accordingly, he thought with a shudder.

Then, a soldier burst through the door, face red and breath heavy. He looked around, before walking up to Mikleo.

“Where is the seraphim of fire, Fethmus Mioma?” The soldier asked. He skipped past the formalities of addressing a prince. Not that Mikleo cared.

“She’s not here,” Mikleo said, and he truly wished he could give more information about her whereabouts, but even he was ignorant. “Is there an issue?”

“Hellions!” The soldier said. “Outside the town gate! They attacked a group of travelling merchants and there are no soldiers to assist them!”

“No soldiers..?” Mikleo blanched. “The ones at the gate aren’t there?”

“It’s too risky to have them leave the front gates unguarded!”

“Damn it,” Mikleo cursed aloud. He doubted the soldier would care. Lailah wasn’t here. Maltran and Morgrim weren’t either. The soldiers were left without a leader. There was no way he would be able to find his mother, gather the troops and save the merchants before they would be slaughtered.

“Have the soldiers at the guarding the castle entrances at the ready!” Mikleo commanded. If there was no one else to do it, then he...

“Sir?”

“I’ll lead the assault. We’ll meet by the castle’s entrance on horseback. Hurry, we don’t have much time!”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier left faster than he had came in. Mikleo threw off his cloak. It would only be a bother in battle. He exited the barracks and began to race to the stalls where the horses were kept, all the while repeating the knowledge Lailah had taught him under his breath.

He had never led any men to battle before. Sure, it was only against hellions and not any humans, but it wasn’t any less terrifying. However, Mikleo couldn’t afford to be scared, no. His people were being attacked, he couldn’t let something as trivial as fear stop him.

Faster than he would have thought possible, Mikleo had Muse’s horse ready to go. He pulled himself atop the horse’s saddle and burst through the doors of the stable, heading towards the front of the castle. The soldiers were nowhere in sight.

 _Damn it! Of all the times to be late, they choose_ now _?!_

He was tempted to leave without them, but Lailah’s words rang in his head. _“You cannot fight alone, Mikleo. You don’t have to. The people of the city will gladly lend you their power,”_ Lailah had said. He wasn’t as powerful with his artes as Lailah was. He had no choice but to wait. Mikleo grit his teeth.

_I suppose I should have practiced a bit more._

Four soldiers arrived in too untimely a manner for Mikleo’s preferences. Two of them were the pair Mikleo chided earlier — Enid and Rodine were their names? It didn’t matter. Four soldiers weren’t a lot, but they would have to do.

“Follow me!” Mikleo called out, and without another moment’s hesitation, he turned and left. Behind, he could hear the rapid galloping footsteps of the horses behind as he charged through the streets. Civilians dove out of the way of the horses and more than once, Mikleo had to leap over a forgotten barrel or bag. Sloppy, but there were bigger issues at the moment.

He passed what he assumed to be the carriage of the merchants. The merchants themselves were nowhere in sight, but the cobblestone was stained red. He shuddered and could only pray that they would all survive.

It was the sounds of battle that first alerted him. He could hear the grunts of the hellions amidst the shouts of the humans, some of which were pained. There were four figures. Two men and one woman, fending off four wolf hellions, one of which they had managed to kill. However, there was one man on the ground, unmoving...

“Spread out!” Mikleo ordered as he leapt off his horse. He summoned his staff, feeling its familiar weight in his hand as he began to cast an arte. “ _Twin Flow_ _!_ ” Mikleo shouted, and a burst of water erupted from the tip of his staff, directly striking a hellion in the chest. Pushed back by the force of the water, it collapsed to the ground, but it wasn’t quite dead.

“Enid!” Mikleo rushed to the unmoving man. He had a bite mark on his shoulder, along with multiple scratches covering his body. Enid ran towards Mikleo, crouching down beside him. “Take this man back to castle. He needs immediate medical attention.

“But—”

“We can handle these hellions. _Go!”_ Mikleo wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth. He would rather have sent somebody else back, but if Enid’s words in her earlier argument were to be believed, her loyalty was unwavering and she would exactly as Mikleo said, taking the man to the castle instead of dumping him in a less-than-perfect infirmary somewhere else.

“Yes, sir!” Enid said. Mikleo nodded, then stood once more. The arrival of the soldiers seemed to have shaken the hellions, who were now circling him and the merchants like vultures.

“Citizens,” Mikeo said. All three looked towards Mikleo. “Leave this to the soldiers, you must leave!”

“No way!” The woman responded. “We can fight just fine!”

Mikleo scowled. They would only get in the way, but there was no time to argue. If they wanted to fight, so be it. Any help would be good. Mikleo’s gaze hovered on the first merchant, to the next, studying their bodies for any sign of injury. So far, they were alright. He looked to the final merchant and—

Wait. No, it couldn’t be…

From the way Sorey’s eyes were never leaving Mikleo’s, it was obvious to tell that he was just as shocked as Mikleo, the same question running through both their minds.

_What are you doing here?_

How had he not noticed Sorey any sooner? That familiar mess of brown hair and those bright green eyes… Mikleo had so many questions. But, for now, they would have to wait. He couldn’t show any sign of recognition. It would spell something bad for both himself and Sorey. With the faintest nod of his head, Mikleo pulled his gaze away from Sorey’s.

“I’ll go for the largest one. You three, go for the one with the black markings above its eyes,” Mikleo said to the merchants — to Sorey. The other man nodded, readying a stance, while the woman twirled her knives in her hand. “Knights, attack the last two! _Go_!”

At Mikleo’s words, the hellions charged. He had to focus on what appeared to be their leader. It was the largest, and by far the most hideous of the bunch. “O vile torrent,” Mikleo chanted, energy surging through his body. “ _Splash_!”

A ball of water formed above the hellion. There, it hovered for a single moment, before erupting, a torrent of water cascading down onto the hellion. The water pushed the hellion to the ground, and before it could even shake the water off, Mikleo was preparing another arte.

“ _Ice Reaver!”_

 _“_ Your Highness!”

Somebody, it must have been one of the soldiers, shouted from somewhere behind him, but it was too late to check who. Something _hard_ slammed into Mikleo’s side, knocking him to the ground and forcing the air out of his lungs. Breathless, Mikleo watched as his arte went awry, missing the largest hellion and instead striking closer to the merchants.

Mikleo struggled to sit up, but found himself pinned down by a wolf hellion. It must have been the one that slammed into him. It snarled, drool trailing down its chin as Mikleo froze underneath its grasp, his eyes locked onto the beast’s jaws, jaws that were coming closer and closer to his neck. Mikleo shut his eyes, the faint cries of the soldiers in the distance as he prepared for the hellion to sink its teeth into Mikleo.

“Blazing Stars!”

There was a flash of light, and just like that, the hellion’s weight was lifted off of Mikleo. He opened his eyes, mouth agape. Maltran… Maltran was standing over him, spear stained with blood. When did she… where did she…?

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Maltran asked. Mikleo managed a weak nod.

“Yes… I’m alright.” Mikleo sat up, grabbing his staff, which had been lying some distance off to the side. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Stand back. I shall handle this.” Maltran gave no room for Mikleo to argue as she dove towards the larger hellion, the one Mikleo had been dealing with. Using his staff for support, Mikleo stood, cursing his inane fear of canines as he watched one of his soldiers drive their blade through a hellion’s chest.

The merchants… They weren’t doing any better. The girl held two knives, but they were too short for her to be able to harm the hellion without putting herself at risk. The man wasn’t faring any better. He could see the man swinging _something_ through the air, but he was too far to see just what.

And Sorey… What was Sorey doing? He had the sword, surely he would have been able to get a fatal strike in… Sorey was skilled, that much Mikleo saw in the ruins, so what was stopping Sorey from killing the hellion?

Unless, Sorey was purposely...

“Purity Heal.” Mikleo murmured, a hand over the arm the hellion rammed into. A glowing white light shone from his palm, a feeling of warmth washing over his arm. Carefully, he flexed his arm. It wasn’t perfect, but it got the job done. If nobody would be able to kill the hellion, then Mikleo would.

Maltran’s earlier words ignored, Mikleo ran towards the merchants and Sorey. This time, he wouldn’t miss. “Stand back!” Mikleo called out. His shout seemed to have surprised them, but they jumped away from the hellion nonetheless. Excellent. He raised his staff in the air, crying out, “Ice Reaver!”

True to his word, Mikleo didn’t miss. Blades of ice shot from the ground, striking the hellion’s stomach. With a pitiful howl, it fell to the ground. However, there was no time to see if Sorey was alright, for Maltran was immediately at his side, a hand placed on his shoulder. Mikleo fought the urge to shake it off.

“Your Highness, that was reckless of you to do that.” Maltran said sternly.

“It is my duty to protect the citizens of Ladylake.” Mikleo responded with an equally stern tone.

Maltran squeezed Mikleo’s shoulder, pain shooting up his arm. Ah, he should really ask Lailah for help with healing artes after this. “That is a duty for the knights. Your place is not on the battlefield, Your Highness.”

“I know. But I was left with no choice.” Mikleo said. Maltran gave him a questioning look. “We will talk about this later. For now, we need to take these citizens back and give them medical care.”

“Understood.” Maltran took her hand off of Mikleo’s shoulders. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Sorey. No, not when there were so many prying eyes. Later, he’d make sure they had a chance to speak. Maltran began to order the soldiers around as Mikleo stood around, seemingly useless. One of his men had three identical cuts on his forearm. Mikleo cursed himself for his inability in battle. His mother wasn't going to be happy about this.

* * *

 

“Spices and herbs. May you repeat where you obtained them from?”

“Marlind.”

“Thank you.” Mikleo said, his quill dancing across the paper as he wrote down what Rose was telling him. Sorey fidgeted in his seat. He really hated his courtroom. At least he wasn’t here because he committed a crime.

“And where did the hellions come from?”

“I don’t know,” Rose said. “They just leaped out of some bushes in front of the cart. We tried to scare ‘em off, but they kept advancing on us.”

“What did you do then?”

“We tried to go around them, then they suddenly attacked our horses. Eguille and I were up front, so we went to defend the horses.”

“And the hellions proved to be too much of a challenge, so you ordered those left in the cart to find help?”

“Yes.”

“I see. And you,” Mikleo raised his head, staring directly at Dezel. “What business did you have in Ladylake?”

“We were going to deliver some spices to the restaurant closest to the cathedral. I decided to stay behind to see if there were any other places that wanted deliveries so we’d save time.”

“Were there any?”

Dezel pulled his hat lower over his head. “No. There weren’t.”

“...Very well.” Mikleo said, still writing. “That will be all.”

“That’s it?” Rose asked, standing up.

“Yes.” Mikleo stood as well. He set the quill down on the table and then tore the paper in his hands into four, neat squares. “I apologize for the trouble we have caused you. Allow me to give you this as a sign of my apology.” He handed a piece to Rose, Dezel and Sorey. “Show that to the innkeeper just around the corner here. He’ll provide for you a free night. The directions are on the paper.”

“A free night? Thanks!” Sorey said.

“It is nothing. You are dismissed.” Mikleo said. Then, with a very pointed look at Sorey, he said, “And please check the directions. It’s a cold night and it would not do you any good to get lost outside."

Mikleo turned to exit the courtroom, as did Rose and Dezel, who had to grab Sorey’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“Right…” Sorey said. As they exited the courtroom, Rose let out a groan.

“ _One_ free night at the inn? After we got attacked by hellions? Gimme a break.”

Dezel shrugged. “It’s a free night. Are you going to take it?”

“May as well,” Rose said, pocketing the paper. Sorey went to do the same, but Mikleo’s earlier words rang in his mind. _Please check the directions._ He said himself that the inn was right around the corner, then said that there were directions on the paper? Something wasn't quite right here. Either Mikleo believed Sorey was _that_ bad at directions, or…

Making sure that Rose was occupied with Dezel, Sorey squinted, staring at the paper, barely able to make out the words under the moonlight. Mikleo’s handwriting was so _tiny_ … The letter had one simple sentence written upon it. 

_Meet me behind the cathedral._

Sorey looked upwards, above the buildings. It was far, but he could barely make out the top of the cathedral. It was some distance away…

“Sorey,” Rose said. “Dezel and I are gonna check on Eguille and the others. You coming?”

This was as good an opportunity as any to go. “Sorry, but there’s something I have to buy for Gramps. It’s in a store not too far from here. You can go on without me.” Sorey prayed that his lie sounded more believable to Rose than it sounded to him. Thankfully, she chose not to question it.

“That’s fine. Thanks for your help earlier today. Those hellions were tough.”

“No problem.” Sorey waved. “Give the others my best wishes.”

“Will do! See ya, Sorey!” Rose returned the wave and ran down the streets, opposite the direction of the cathedral. Only when she and Dezel were out of sight did Sorey let himself sigh in relief.

He could only hope that he wouldn’t keep Mikleo waiting.

* * *

 

He had been keeping Sorey waiting. For far too long. But the healers fussing over him and dealing with Maltran’s knights took much longer than he thought it would. Mikleo wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t find Sorey waiting behind the cathedral.

Thankfully, however, he was there, leaning against the wall, playing with the hem of his shirt. Mikleo checked around once more. The streets were dead, devoid of all activity. It was safe to remove his hood, the cold air biting into his exposed cheeks. Mikleo walked towards Sorey, taking care to make his footsteps noticeable. 

The warmth of Sorey’s grin upon seeing Mikleo chased away the chills of the night. “Hey. I was beginning to think that you wouldn’t show.”

“I apologize,” Mikleo cringed. “But I was kept busy at the castle. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“Anytime,” Sorey said easily, as if Mikleo hadn’t kept him waiting at night, in the dark, in the cold for so long. “Are you okay? I saw you get hurt from one of the wolves earlier.”

“The healers at the castle are quite capable. I’m fine. What about you? It’s dangerous for a human to attack a single hellion, let alone a group of them.”

“I know, but…” Sorey sighed. “I couldn’t leave Rose and Eguille out there. Besides, Rose and Dezel are pretty good fighters. Dezel’s pretty scary in battle.”

He was pretty scary outside of battle too. There was something about him that made Mikleo uneasy. But he chose not to voice this. He was Sorey’s friend after all. “Nonetheless, it’s best to leave that sort of thing up to the knights.”

“Yeah… I hope it doesn’t happen again. But… you’re not a knight.” Sorey pointed out. “I didn’t expect to see you leading them.”

“I’ve had lessons. I must be capable of leading my people to battle to defend them, after all.” Mikleo said simply. “Normally, I would have sent somebody else, but…”

“But?”

“There were… issues at the castle. We’ve been dealing with more hellion incidents lately, so there weren’t many knights available.” Mikleo was most likely telling Sorey more than he should be telling him. “I was left with no choice but to lead them.”

“That’s strange. I didn’t encounter any hellions when coming to Ladylake.” Sorey noted.

“Perhaps they were scared off by your appearance.”

“Really? I never thought I looked scary — hey, wait a second…!” Sorey said, realizing the implications of Mikleo’s words. Mikleo tried, and failed to keep from smirking, and soon, the night air was filled with the sounds of their laughter.

Once their laughter quieted down, Mikleo brushed off his clothing, having became wrinkled when he clutched his stomach while laughing. “...It’s been a while since we spoke.”

“Yeah. I’m glad we were able to speak again.” Sorey said.

“I wish we could have met up sooner.” Mikleo admitted. He hadn’t felt this free in ages. Not since he was confined in the castle.

“It’s okay, really. I know you have your duties.”

“No… no, it’s not that.” Mikleo said. “My mother doesn’t want me wandering outside of the castle. She’s afraid for my safety.” And afraid of the humans.

“You’re not allowed outside of the castle?” Sorey’s eyes widened.

“I can go in the courtyards. But it’s not the same as the forest by Elysia.”

“When will you be allowed to leave the castle?”

“I do not know. Perhaps when the hellion issue has gone. But, even then, I’m not sure how long that will take…” Mikleo said. Sorey moved closer to Mikleo, placing both of his arms on Mikleo’s shoulders, startling him. Unlike Maltran’s touch, Sorey’s was gentle, reassuring. He forced himself to stare into Sorey’s eyes.

“Don’t feel sad. It’ll be okay. I’m sure your mother can clear things up soon. She’s one of the best rulers of Ladylake. If anybody can do it, I’m sure she can.” Sorey said, so earnestly that Mikleo couldn't help but believe him.

“Yes… perhaps I should believe in my own mother a bit more, shouldn’t I?” Mikleo said with a small laugh. “Thank you, Sorey. But, I don’t know when I’ll be able to meet with you again.”

“I don’t mind waiting. But..” Sorey’s voice trailed off. “I’ve read a bit more of the Celestial Record without you. I didn’t go too far into it, but —”

“That’s quite alright. It’s your book after all.” Mikleo said, hoping that he didn’t let the disappointment show on his face. “You can fill me in when we see each other again.”

“I hope it’s soon, otherwise I’ll finish the Celestial Record without you.” Sorey said with a wink.

“It’ll be years before you’ll be able to decipher the Celestial Record on your own.” Mikleo teased.

“Hey, I’m getting better thanks to you.”

“I suppose I must be a good teacher then.”

“Well, you’re the only one I’ve ever had, so I can’t tell if you’re good or not.”

“Excuse me?” Mikleo mocked being offended, but his facade only lasted a few seconds before the two quickly dissolved into laughter once more. After they let their laughter fade out, this time, they allowed silence to fill the space between them.

It really was a beautiful night, even if it was a cold one. Though, if Mikleo could feel the cold, he didn’t want to think about how Sorey must have felt. They had been out for too long, but it wasn't long enough. “Well… I suppose we’ve been here long enough.”

Sorey’s face fell. “I guess it would be bad if someone were to see us, huh?”

“I’ll try to see you as soon as I can.” Mikleo fished around in the pockets of his cloak. “Hold out your hand.”

Confused, Sorey did as ordered. Mikleo pulled his hand out of his pocket, placed it in Sorey’s hand and dropped a handful of gald into his palm. Sorey opened his mouth to speak, but Mikleo was faster.

“It’s for your friend. The Sparrowfeathers. This isn’t much, but it should help pay for their injuries. No, I will not accept it back.” Mikleo said, seeing Sorey extend his hand back towards Mikleo.

“I’m gonna have to think of a way to explain why I have so much money to pay for them.” Sorey said, carefully putting away the gald.

“They’re resting at the inn, yes? Give it to the innkeeper with your note.”

“...Alright. And Mikleo...?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For saving us today. And for the money.”

Mikleo waved it off. “I only did what I must. It’s nothing.” Mikleo avoided looking at Sorey. If he did, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk away. “I must take my leave now… Goodbye... Sorey."

“...Bye, Mikleo. Thanks for coming to see me tonight.” Sorey’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. Mikleo pulled his hood back over his head, leaving into the streets, his footsteps as quiet as a mouse's. Sorey stood there for a minute or so, watching the direction in which Mikleo left, before walking away, rubbing his hands together.

Sorey walked right by an alleyway, to which he spared no glance, instead focused on going to someplace warm. Unfortunate, for if he had looked in the alleyway, he would have noticed an all-too familiar figure leaning against the wall. Once the sound of Sorey's footsteps vanished, the figure stood straight, walking into the shadows of the alleyway.

 


	4. Falling Down

“Twin Flow!”

“Pyrogenic Ring!”

A wall of flames rose up in front of Lailah, effectively cutting Mikleo’s stream of water short. It vanished into the flames, dissipating into the air. He grit his teeth, taking a few steps back from Lailah, and attempted to cast Splash. However, before he could, a line of flames flew at him, forcing him to leap away to avoid it.

“Focus, Mikleo!” Lailah’s cry could be heard over the crackling of fire. When the smoke vanished, he could see her standing, as poised and perfect as always, not a hair out of place. “You must distract your enemy before you cast a higher level arte.”

“I know… I know…” Mikleo tried his best not to grumble  “I wasn’t expecting you to recover so quickly.”

“You musn’t underestimate your enemy.” Lailah scolded. “Are you still able to fight?”

“..Yes. I am.” Mikleo brushed his bangs out of his face, violet eyes filled with determination. “Are you ready?”

“Let us begin.” Lailah said. This time, she waited for Mikleo to take initiative. That was fine with him. This time, perhaps he’d close the distance in between the two. Try a different strategy. As much as he loathed to try and swing at sweet Lailah with his staff, he had to practice _somehow_.

He began to cast yet another spell, and like before, Lailah shot another stream of fire towards him. Though now he knew better. Instead of dodging, he stayed put, allowing himself to finish casting. Instead of aiming for Lailah, Mikleo summoned a torrent of water just above the path of the fire, effectively dousing it. Through the water’s mist and fire’s smoke, it was impossible to see Lailah, but it was just as impossible for her to see Mikleo.

Mikleo leapt through the smoke, staff held high above his head, and tried not to give a smug grin at Lailah’s surprised expression. He landed in front of her, swiping his staff at her torso, but she simply leaped out of the way on nimble feet. Again, Mikleo swung, twirling his staff in his hands, trying to get a strike on Lailah.

Again and again he missed, but he could see that Lailah was growing tired of avoiding his attacks. He jabbed at her torso, giving her an opportunity to take a step back, holding her hands in front of her, paper hovering around her body. Perfect.

“Phoenix Triad!”

Mikleo hopped backwards, feeling the heat from the flames on his skin. Concentrating, he began to cast as the flames enveloped the space he was standing in just a moment ago. By the time he finished casting, the flames had only barely died out. Pointing his staff at Lailah, Mikleo shouted, “Aqua Serpent!”

Water erupted from his staff, twisting through the air in the shape of a snake, easily passing through the dying flames. Lailah had no time to cast a spell in response, instead holding her papers in front of her in a pitiful attempt to protect herself.

When the water dissipated, Lailah was kneeling on the ground, her hair splayed out against the stone walkways of the garden. Mikleo froze. Did his spell turn out stronger than he had intended it to be? Any and all triumph he felt at overcoming Lailah vanished.

Lailah was never one to play dirty, or to lie and deceive, so her injury couldn’t have been faked. He dashed over to Lailah, the air still hot from their spar. He kneeled down beside her, setting his staff on the ground.

“Lailah! Are you alright?” Mikleo tried to place his hand over her arm, but she waved him off.

“I.. I’m fine.” Lailah placed her own hand over her arm, a simple white light glowing from her palm. “Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Did I overdo it? I’m sorry, Lailah.” Mikleo said, but Lailah only smiled and gave a soft shake of her head.

“I must not have completely healed from my injuries the other day.” Lailah stood, brushing dirt off her dress. “There’s no need to worry.”

“It was foolish of me to ask for a spar so soon after your mission.” Mikleo muttered.

“Not at all. I’m glad I could be of help to you. And I…” Lailah shut her eyes for a brief moment before continuing. “I believe that you must grow stronger as soon as possible.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Let’s go to the gardens to talk.”

Their entire walk was silent, Mikleo choosing not to comment on the slight limp Lailah was trying to hide. Just what had happened on her mission yesterday? Thankfully, the garden wasn’t too far off, and it wasn’t long before they were seated before the fountain. Thankfully, the garden was empty of any arguing soldiers today.

Lailah wasted no time in getting to the point. “Lately, hellions have been much more aggressive. You saw them yesterday, when you helped those merchants.”

“What was so strange about them?”

“It’s rare for hellions to attack so close to Ladylake, and judging by the report you and Maltran gave me, they weren’t acting normal. I’ve never heard of wolf hellions directly challenging a group of humans before.”

“Is that why you wish to help train me?” Mikleo asked. “So I’d be able to defend myself against those hellions?”

“Yes It was foolish of you to go out on your own. We were incredibly lucky Maltran was near the area.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Mikleo cringed. “But there were no other options I had. I did not expect them to be so… powerful.”

“Remember, Mikleo. Never underestimate your enemy.” Lailah’s voice was soft, but her words were strict.

“I know, I know. But where were you? I thought you and Maltran were working together on the mission.” Mikleo inquired. Lailah dropped her gaze to her lap, clutching the folds of her dress.

“I had heard a report by some soldiers on patrol about the wandering seraphim. I told Maltran to go back to the kingdom while I would investigate.”

“The wandering seraphim? Is that how you got your injuries?” Mikleo narrowed his eyes at Lailah when she opened her mouth to respond. “Lailah. I know you’re hurt.”

“As perceptive as ever.” A smile tugged at the corners of Lailah’s lips. “But I did not encounter the wandering seraphim, unfortunately.”

“But your injuries—”

“There was a group of hellions instead. I did not have as many soldiers, so we had to be more careful.”

She was not lying, but she was not telling the complete truth either. While sure that Lailah had her reasons, Mikleo was disappointed that she did not trust him with what information she had. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it was always the same excuse every time. Then again, Lailah always knew best, so who was he to complain?

“I see. I’m glad you’re alright.” Mikleo said, earning him a gracious smile from Lailah. “But do you think that the wandering seraphim was really there?”

“I’m… not quite sure.” Lailah pondered. “The seraph is not called ‘wandering’ for nothing, however it is rare for the seraph to allow themselves to be seen by humans.”

“You seem to know a lot about this seraph.”

“This seraph has caused trouble for us in the past.”

“What kind of trouble?”

Lailah gave Mikleo a look that said ‘you’re asking too many questions’, but perhaps since she couldn’t give him much information before, she decided to go on.

“The seraph travels the land, never staying put in one place for too long. Nobody is sure of where he came from.” Lailah explained. “He is… extremely powerful, moreso than the average seraph. Perhaps as powerful as I am.”

Mikleo’s eyes widened. As powerful as Lailah? To him, Lailah had always been one of the strongest people he knew, mentally and physically. To think that there was a vagabond causing havoc as strong as Lailah…

“How did he get so powerful? Did he undergo training as you did?” Mikleo asked. The seraph was a male, that much he knew. He wondered if he should ask for the name of the seraph.

“No… not at all. In fact, we have asked the seraph for help in the past.”

“Impossible…”

“Yes. It was during a time like this. When hellions were more powerful than ever. Her Majesty was not yet in power. Mikleo… that seraph has a special kind of weapon. One that can quell hellions.”

“What do you mean by special..?”

“It is called a ‘gun’, and it has the ability to fire bullets. That’s where the main source of the seraphim’s strength comes from.”

“And that’s why you enlisted for his help?”

“Yes. We were in desperate need.”

“Then why don’t you ask for the seraph’s help right now?”

“As of now, the seraph is causing more trouble than not. He cares not about human-seraphim relations and can be… quite brash when dealing with malevolence.” Lailah pursed her lips.

“You’re afraid that the humans won’t take too kindly to us needing the help of the seraph?” Mikleo stated.

“...Yes. Unfortunately.” Lailah sighed, standing up. She looked down towards Mikleo, an unreadable expression across her face. For some reason, that made Mikleo nervous. “Mikleo. You are improving at a magnificent rate but please, don’t push yourself. For now… I must be off to check the knights.”

In other words, Lailah wasn’t willing to give Mikleo more information. “...Very well. Lailah, don’t push yourself either. You’re still recovering from your injuries.” Mikleo never felt comfortable scolding Lailah, even if he was the prince. “Thank you for… telling me about the wandering seraph.”

Lailah smiled, warm and caring. “Of course. Thank you for your concern.”

Well. That was as much information Mikleo was going to get out of Lailah, and he doubted that his mother or anybody else would even give him a hint. Or rather, that was as much information that he was going to get out of a _person_.

The moon was high in the sky by the time Mikleo went into the castle’s inner library, where the more important files were being kept. He’d ordered the guards to stay quiet, though he wasn’t quite sure how much time he had.

The files on the actual seraph were vague at best. The papers themselves were hard to find and even harder to read under the lantern's light, worn with time. It was not easy, shuffling through the papers while staying quiet _while_ listening for any noises above. His eyes were beginning to ache when he finally found some information that may have proved useful… nearly three years back, according to the dates.

Bits and pieces were missing and scratched out, like the file had been written hastily. For what reasons, Mikleo didn’t know. His eyes scanned the paper, hoping for any sort of information, but all that was supplied was, “ _Last Seen: Rayfalke Spiritcrest”_.

Useless, useless, absolutely useless.

Just what information was the castle trying to hide, and _why_ were they trying to hide it?

As if answering, loud footsteps above sounded, prompting Mikleo to douse the lantern, casting the library into darkness. It was a path he memorized so long ago, when sneaking inside to read about ancient ruins, so in ease, Mikleo moved through the library, leaving behind no indication that somebody was ever there.

* * *

 

“No way. Pendrago too?”

“Yup. They’re even running checks around the border now.”

“Why? They’ve never had to do it before.”

“I don’t know. It’s not like there’s going to be a human sneaking in a hellion in their back pockets.”

Sorey laughed, imagining somebody trying to smuggle a tiny animal under a travelling cloak. Oh, but it did sound like something he’d try to do, after all. But he and Rose weren’t talking about cute animals, they were talking about dangerous hellions. His smile quickly vanished as he locked gazes with Rose.

“Have there been any incidents?”

“Sorey.” Dezel spoke up. “You’re going to have to be a lot more specific than that.”

“Sorry.” Sorey allowed himself a sheepish grin. “I mean, _has_ anybody snuck in a hellion?”

Rose shrugged. “Not that we know of. It’s a real pain, having to get investigated all the time. But like I said, there’s no reason why a human would bother sneaking in a hellion.”

“You’d be surprised at what types of humans are out there.” Dezel grumbled. Rose reached out to punch Dezel, who was sitting on a chair beside Rose’s bed, only to retract her arm with a hiss of pain. “Be more careful!” Dezel chided. “Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet. Besides…” He paused, before continuing with a sharp smile. “I never said I was talking about you.”

“Asshole.” Rose glowered, rubbing at her arm. Sorey shook his head.

“You should listen to Dezel, Rose.”

“Not you too, Sorey!”

Sorey only shrugged. “Sorry?”

“You don’t need to apologize. You’re only worried about me.” Rose waved him off.

“Yeah. Those hellions were tough. I’m surprised you’re alright, Dezel.”

Dezel turned away from Sorey, crossing his arms. “I’m more experienced than the both of you. You should have left when the soldiers came.”

“A little late, too.” Rose leaned back in her bed, facing the ceiling. “They should have been the first ones there, and there weren’t even any seraphim!”

“Mi- The _prince_ was there.” Sorey quickly corrected himself. Rose didn’t seem to pick up on his mistake, but Dezel was fixating on him with one of those piercing “stares” only Dezel could do. He’d almost forgotten that Mikleo’s name wasn’t commonly known. “Remember?”

“I wonder why the prince was dealing with some hellions instead of sitting inside the castle.” Rose said. _It’s because there’s not enough people in the castle to help_ , Sorey didn’t say.

“Who knows? I’m just glad he was able to help.”

“That was a surprise. The seraphim don’t usually help with the more aggressive hellions.” Dezel said. “They usually stay back and let the soldiers finish them.”

Sorey bit his lip, watching Rose carefully for her reaction. He knew how Rose felt about the seraphim “using” the soldiers, but Mikleo was fighting right alongside them… Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be in the mood to rant today.

...That much. While her rant was shorter than the usual, it seemed longer and much more painful to listen to, knowing that Rose was talking about humans — _people_ like Mikleo. Even still, there was still that nagging voice at the back of his mind, asking, “What if she’s right?”

Sorey stayed for only a little while longer after that, insisting that he wanted to go back to Elysia before sunset. However, after he said his goodbyes, Dezel followed him outside the room, shutting the door behind himself.

“Sorey.” Dezel muttered, quiet enough so that nobody would hear.

“Yeah..?”

“Be careful. The hellions are getting stronger. But you know that already, don’t you?”

“I know. I’ll be careful, Dezel. Thanks.” Sorey smiled, but Dezel didn’t return it.

“It’s not as safe in Elysia as it is in Ladylake. Be careful, Sorey.”

“Huh?”

But Dezel had already gone back inside the room, the door slamming shut, leaving Sorey with no room to respond. He hesitated, wondering if he should ask Dezel more, but in the end, decided against it. With the sun beating down on the back of his neck, Sorey left Ladylake and set out for Elysia.

_The hellions are getting stronger._

Thankfully, he didn’t run into any hellions. The forest was surprisingly… empty. He reached Elysia with no issues, checking in with Zenrus before going back home. Even when the sun was gone and the moon in the sky, Sorey could still hear Dezel’s voice. What did Dezel know that Sorey didn’t? And what did he know Sorey knew that he didn’t? At this rate, Sorey would have never been able to go to sleep, but his earlier exhaustion managed to coax him into sleep.

That night, Sorey dreamed of Elysia. Elysia, high up on the mountains, gazing over the world below, peaceful and proud. Elysia, his hometown, surrounded by forests of the deepest green. Elysia, sitting still as hellions as tall as houses emerged from the dark woods. Elysia, attacked, the hellions breaking down houses as if they were matchsticks, crushing citizens with their claws.

Sorey was running, scratches and bruises decorating his body in a terrifying display of red and black. He was running towards Zenrus’ house, which had begun to sink in from the force of the hellions. He could hear Zenrus’ cries for help, but Sorey’s voice was gone. He tried to call out to Zenrus, to tell him that he was coming, and _why couldn’t he speak?!_

Sorey forced himself to run faster and faster, his lungs protesting with every step. Closer, he had to go closer before the hellions reached Zenrus! There was no time, the house was falling, Zenrus was inside, he had to hurry, before—!

Sorey woke, gasping and breathless, as if he truly had been running. Just to make sure, he crawled out of bed, stumbled to the window and threw back the curtains. Many of the lights inside the houses were dark, but a couple, including Zenrus’, were still on.

That night, Sorey didn’t go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time around, with less action. The next chapter will not be long as well, which may be a good and a bad thing. I'm still struggling with writing emotional scenes. For some reason, I can only write more emotional scenes whend doing original one-shots. u_u;; Either way, I finally wrote down a somewhat cohesive outline of the plot, so maybe I know what I'm doing with this story.
> 
> Edit (9/18): Oh dear, oh dear. My laptop broke down and I'm not sure when there will be a replacement... Writing on mobile is difficult, but I will try my hardest until I am able to use a laptop again.
> 
> Thank you for reading~


	5. A Moment of Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Hah! You thought I was dead, but I am not! Long story short, I have not abandoned this fic, nor do I plan to. I haven't been able to get any writing done these past few months due to a broken laptop and these past few weeks have been too busy for me to write. Hopefully with Christmas holidays coming up, I'll be able to find some spare time to write...

Meetings were truly a pain.

The knight’s voice was nothing more than a buzz in Mikleo’s ears as he struggled to sit upright and look somewhat at attention. Often, he would sneak in glances at Muse and always, she was sitting up with rapt attention, her eyes constantly focused on the knight delivering her report.

The report was not even anything urgent. Muse had dragged Mikleo into the meeting, saying something along the lines of “it will be good for you to become more experienced with the castle’s workings”. What lies. All he had to do was give the occasional nod and look pretty. Hellions were spotted all around Marlind. The support Muse had Maltran send over helped get rid of most of them. The soldiers would stay around for a little while longer, just in case the hellions decided to come back.

Oh, if only reports could be delivered so easily. Mikleo caught Lailah’s eye, who gave him a sympathetic smile from the opposite side of the table. He could already imagine the lecture she would give him once the meeting was over. As expected, when the meeting was _finally_ over, Lailah walked over to Mikleo.

“Did you understand everything?” Lailah said. Or, in other words, “Were you listening?”

“Yes. The hellion situation at Marlind has been improving.”

“And the malevolence?”

“The malevolence still hangs heavy over Marlind, but getting rid of the hellions should alleviate most of the malevolence there…” Mikleo’s voice trailed off at the sudden crestfallen look on Lailah’s face. “...Right?”

“That’s what we hope. It may take longer, however, because of the people there.”

“They’re causing most of the malevolence?” Perhaps Mikleo should have been paying more attention.

Lailah only shook her head, though her expression hadn’t changed. “No, but if this continues, the people may begin to cause some of it themselves. We must protect them from the hellions before it goes that far…”

“Of course. That’s the duty of Ladylake, and of us seraphim.” A saying and a duty bestowed to Mikleo for a long as he could remember.

Lailah smiled. “Yes, indeed.”

* * *

 

Mikleo pulled his hood further down, thankful that it was somewhat chilly outside. Muse had let Mikleo go for the day, only telling him to stay close to the castle. Perhaps the hellion situation improving had helped alleviate some of her fears. As he wandered the streets of Ladylake, he could only marvel at the human’s carefree way of life and wonder how any of them could be as dangerous as Muse said they would be.

No, that wasn’t quite right. Just like seraphim, humans were individuals. Some were dangerous, some were not. It was foolish to believe he was completely safe, even in his own kingdom, even with his seraphic powers — those of which had been steadily improving under Lailah’s careful watch.

Mikleo stepped into a bookstore down the end of the street, a tiny, hidden gem in the kingdom. This was his favourite place to go to, and the owner knew his identity well. The bell chimed as he closed the door and the owner looked up and with no more than a nod at Mikleo, went back to dealing with another cloaked customer at the desk. Mikleo headed to the back, determined to spend the rest of the day deep in a book. But, something wasn’t right. The book Mikleo had been reading during his previous visits was _gone_ , a gaping hole left in the bookshelf in its place.

Had somebody borrowed it? Bought it? Mikleo scanned the area around him with no luck. The book was gone. It was only natural, this was a bookstore, where books came to be read and sold, but even still…

He made his way over to the front desk, where the customer was gone. “Pardon me, but have you any idea of where the book about the empire of Malkuth is? It seems to be missing from the shelves.” He was hoping the owner would say it was simply misplaced, but he shook his head with resignation.

“Ah, yes, that book you’ve been reading? The lad I was talking with when you came in just bought it. I guess Malkuth’s pretty popular these days, yeah?” The owner motioned to the door. “He was a history geek like you. Think he said his name was Sorey? Maybe you know him.”

This was _much_ better than anything Mikleo would have expected. With sparks in his eyes, he nodded. “Yes, ah, um… I know him.” Mikleo said. The owner didn’t do so much as to raise an eyebrow. No questions asked about how Mikleo came across a villager like Sorey. “We have been… speaking for a while now. He _is_ quite interested in ancient history, much like myself.”

“Well, if you wanna catch him, I think he took a left. You’d better hurry.” The owner peered at Mikleo over the rims of his glasses. “I’m assuming you don’t want Her Majesty knowing?”

Mikleo toyed with the hem of his cloak. “Yes, if that’s not too much trouble. I don’t know if she would approve of my conversing with a human.”

The owner chuckled. “That’s Her Majesty for you. Don’t worry, Mikleo. I trust you. My lips are sealed. Now go, before the lad leaves you behind.”

“Thank you, sir.” Mikleo was gone in a heartbeat and turned left outside the store, struggling to catch a glimpse for Sorey. Thankfully, Sorey was wearing those rather bright, orange earrings, making him quite the easy target. He wasn't too far away from the store, looking into a storehouse window, where knick-knacks of all sorts were on display.

Mikleo walked over and stood next to Sorey, casting him a cautious glance. Sorey didn’t react, so Mikleo cleared his throat and pointed to a windchime hanging from the ceiling. “It’s said that the windchime over there has been blessed by a wind seraph that controls the weather.”

Sorey jumped. “M-Mikleo?! Where did you..?”

“Hello, Sorey. My mother has been more lenient with me lately. I’ve been allowed to travel outside the castle more often.”

“Oh, that’s… that’s good!” Sorey grinned, ear to ear. “So, uh… is that windchime really blessed by a seraph?”

“...No.” Mikleo shook his head. “As far as I know, there have been no records of a seraph that could control the weather.”

Sorey shrugged. “That’s too bad. So, why were you out today?”

“I decided to pay a visit to a certain _bookstore_ to read a certain _book_ when the owner of the shop told me that a certain _boy_ had already taken it.” Mikleo replied smugly.

“You mean this?” From beneath his cloak, Sorey pulled out a worn book, held closed with a leather flap. “You were reading this?”

“It’s quite fascinating, no?"

"Actually... I haven’t read it all that much.” Sorey rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to take a break from reading the Celestial Record because…” Sorey trailed off, realization washing over him. “The Celestial Record! I almost forgot!” Sorey tucked the book back into his cloak. “I read a bit more in the Celestial Record, but I didn’t want to go too far into the book without you, so I’d stopped reading. But now that you’re here…”

Mikleo nodded, immediately catching onto Sorey’s idea. “How about you come with me to the castle? I know a way we can sneak in.”

“The castle?” Sorey said, breathless. “But if we get caught?”

“Don’t worry. I can handle it.”

Mikleo flipped through the pages of the Celestial Record in the candlelight, the words blurring before his eyes. How long had he been sitting at his desk, taking down notes? The hours had gone by so easily. It seemed like it was only thirty minutes ago that Sorey was sitting in his bedroom, pouring over the Celestial Record with Mikleo.

He’d left the Celestial Record with Mikleo, saying that he could try catching up so the next time they’d meet, they’d be on the same page. Though Mikleo initially tried to argue against it, eventually he caved in and kept the book. _Borrowed_ the book, he reminded himself. It still wasn’t his and it was Sorey’s most prized possession. He’d have to be a lot more careful with it than anything else.

So far, the book only had information on what both Sorey and Mikleo already knew. For a human, Sorey was surprisingly educated on seraphim. Without a doubt, it made teaching him considerably easier. Seraphim were invisible to humans. Humans had suspected seraphim of existing and struggled to make contact, while seraphim were ignoring them. The book had no mentions of malevolence, but Mikleo had to wonder if that was the case.

It was fascinating to Sorey nonetheless, who had a desire for learning that far outclassed Mikleo’s. Anytime he would translate a passage correctly, he’d smile bright enough to light up the room. Mikleo had to wonder where he got all that energy from. Perhaps it was part of being a human.

Mikleo doused the candle’s flames, casting his bedroom into darkness and let sleep carry him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a breather chapter for now as I try to get back into the swing of things. Thank you for reading, and especially for staying patient for me~ <3


	6. Mayvin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (wheezes) Get ready for a 5.5K chapter that I should edit more. Perhaps grab some snacks for the journey.

_ Humanity’s first attempts to summon seraphim to communicate were unsuccessful. Most seraphim were unwilling because of humanity’s status and because, at the time, there had been no trust between the seraphim and humans. _

Mikleo lazily turned another page in the Celestial Record.

_Humans underwent other rituals, including the offering of gifts and incantations said to have been passed down by seraphim themselves in their attempts to summon seraphim. Many of their incantations were faulty, as at the time, seraphim had not made any impact on humanity and therefore humanity’s rituals were based on what_ they _believed seraphim desired._ _In the end, seraphim only showed themselves to able humans who were pure of heart._

_ ‘Ask Mikleo.’ _

‘Pure of heart’ was circled, an arrow guiding it to Sorey’s handwriting crammed into the margin. Ask Mikleo… A pure heart… A heart free of malevolence. So, seraphim, back then, only revealed themselves to people free of malevolence. Mikleo smirked. Sorey was certainly a human with a glaring lack of malevolence. Perhaps that’s why he felt so comfortable around him.

So far, there was no mention of telling the humans about malevolence. Mikleo had gotten as far as Sorey and he did not want to read any further, lest he anger Sorey. As such, he’d taken to reading the same chapters over and over again, until he was sure he had memorized every sentence on every page. The temptation was overwhelming, but living under Muse’s rule in the castle taught Mikleo good self-control, if anything.

He’d met up with Sorey another couple of times over the past two weeks— barely enough to satisfy his urge to meet and talk, but enough to keep him sane. They’d spoken about the Celestial Record, but as most of what they read was common knowledge, their conversations ended quickly. Mikleo stuck a bookmark into the pages and shut it, staring at the strange symbol on the cover. Soon, he thought. Soon, they’d both find out what it would mean. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 

Third time’s the charm was the common saying, but if Sorey walked by those guards again, he was sure they would start interrogating him. Each time he walked past, he tried to sneak a peek into the castle gardens and each time, there was nothing but green seen past the fence the guards stood by. With their helmets, he couldn’t tell if they were watching him or not, what their expressions were. Dezel, at the very least, only hid his eyes, but these guys…

They may as well have been statues. It was hopeless to think that he would be able to go within a foot of the fence. Another time, then. With one last longing look, Sorey walked away from the direction of the castle. At least the visit wasn’t a complete waste. He’d heard that the Sparrowfeathers were in town and considering what Rose said last time (“We’re the Sparrowfeathers, dammit! Not carrier pigeons!”), the postal office was as good a place to check if any.

Sure enough, Rose’s bright red hair was sticking out like a sore thumb just outside the post office, Dezel right next to her. Sorey broke out into a jog, waving his hand. Dezel looked up and nudged Rose with his shoulder. “Hey! Rose! Dezel!” Sorey called out. Rose’s eyes immediately found Sorey as she raised a hand in return.

“Hey, Sorey! How’re you doing?” Rose chirped. A pile of letters sat on her lap, one of which was nearly torn to pieces. Sorey craned his neck, trying to get a good look at those letters.

“Hey Rose, Dezel.” Dezel ‘hmphed’ in return. “What are you up to?”

Rose groaned. “Money. With all the hellion attacks, people are charging more gald for healing items and it’s been getting harder to travel for us, too. Business is slowing.”

“I told you to start charging more for our service.” Dezel muttered, making no effort to keep his voice hidden.

“You shot it down when I actually tried to!”

“I didn’t say to make our customers go bankrupt.”

“See? This is why we never get anything done.” Rose turned to Sorey. “You with me?”

“Uh… yeah?” Sorey said. Rose didn’t seem to believe him.

“It’s useless trying to ask you. All you know is how to get lost in ruins.” Rose said with a mischievous grin as she prodded Sorey with her elbow. “On the topic of that…”

“I paid everything I owed you!” Sorey said hastily. “I double-checked it. But if you need my help with anything, don’t feel afraid to ask. I’m always here. I never get much done in Elysia, anyway.”

“Thanks Sorey, but I think we’re fine for now. You go and be geeky and we’ll go and deal business. It’s all part of being in a guild.” Rose shoved a piece of paper into a letter, tucking it away into her pocket. “So, why’d you come to Ladylake?”

_ To see Mikleo.  _ “Just… taking a break off of chores.”

“Got some spare time? We can take a quick break. There’s this cool bakery I’ve never been to before.”

“Woah, wait a second. I’m not going to be your babysitter.” Dezel crossed his arms.

“You don’t need to babysit us! We’re not kids, Dezel.” Rose said indignantly. “You can come along if you want to try the food, if you’re hungry.”

“...No thanks. I’ll go check on the others. Don’t take too long." Dezel shrugged. "It was nice to see you, Sorey. You should come down to Ladylake more often.”

“It was nice to see you too, Dezel. I promise we’ll be back before you know it.” Sorey placed his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out. As expected, Rose started giggling at the display. When Dezel walked away, Sorey swore he heard him grumble,  _ “Kids…”  _ under his breath.

“So, where’s the bakery?” Sorey asked.

Rose winked at him. “Just down the street right here. Take the first left you see and it’s right there. I’ll race you.”

“First left? H-hey, Rose, wait!” Sorey cried out, but it was too late. Rose took off with a mad grin, narrowly avoiding any poor people that happened to be walking by. Sorey took off after her (with a quick apology to the people Rose jostled), but his efforts were futile. Rose’s head start, paired with her natural agility, had her at the bakery just as Sorey finished rounding the corner.

Rose clapped him on the back. “You made it! I was thinking that I lost you.”

“I wasn’t  _ that _ far behind. You had a head start.”

“A win is a win!” Rose chirped. “And that means you’re paying.”

Sorey shook his head with a chuckle. He really should have expected that.

* * *

 

“And Rose said that this one is the sweetest? And the one with the red jam is your basic strawberry jam.” Sorey pushed the plate closer to Mikleo. He regarded it dubiously, carefully breaking a tiny piece off of the bread. Under Sorey’s watchful eye, he nibbled the end, expression unchanging.

“This Rose… Does she eat nothing but sugar? This is…” He swallowed. “This is ridiculously sweet. I can’t imagine anybody choosing to eat this willingly…”

“Really?” Sorey took a piece of his own. “I find it pretty good myself.”

“Hm. I’d say that suits you.” Mikleo pushed the rest of the bread towards Sorey with a knowing smirk as he took the one with jam. Sorey playfully pushed him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Careful, Sorey. You’re dropping crumbs on the Celestial Record.”

Sorey looked down. Well, it was  _ true _ but that was changing the subject. A dirty trick. Still, Sorey conceded defeat as he brushed the crumbs off the pages, pushing the bread aside. “Whoops. Anyways, where were we?”

“Give me the book.” Mikleo reached over, snatching the book out of Sorey’s hands. “We were reading about the Storyteller’s first interaction with a seraph… Where is it…?”

“Take your time.” Sorey leaned backwards, stretching as he took a look around Elysia’s forests. Other than a small scuffle with a prickleboar, there hadn’t been any distractions since Mikleo dropped by. Feeling the day’s warmth wash over him, Sorey could only thank Mikleo for willing to sit outside instead of inside Sorey’s house.

“Ah, here it is. There are a few more mentions of a pure heart.” Mikleo shifted so that Sorey could lean over the Celestial Record. There was a bit of squirming as elbows and knees knocked against each other, but eventually they got into a comfortable enough position for the both of them. “Right… here, and here. You remember what that is, yes?”

“Pretty easy to remember. A good person, right?” Sorey hesitated for a bit. “...Can you read the paragraphs out loud?”

“Me..?”

“I’m curious to hear about the storyteller and the seraphim and it’ll take too long for me to read it. Not that you’re a bad teacher or anything.” Sorey added hastily.

“Perhaps you’re just a stubborn student, but,” Mikleo heaved an overly-dramatic sigh. “If you insist, I suppose.” It  _ would _ be rather cumbersome to the flow of the story if Sorey had to read it… His fingers ran over the sentences that filled the page as he began to read. 

_ The man pushed open the door with what strength he had remaining. It creaked and groaned as dust fell from the ceiling. He stepped into the throne room, the scent musty with age. Strangely enough, there was a figure standing in the center of the room, light pouring down on it. The man called out, thinking that the figure was a human. However, as the figure turned around, there was fury in its eyes and it looked more demon than anything. _

_ ‘Why are you here?’ It spat out, radiating fury. _

_ ‘Forgive me,” the man begged. “My name is Mayvin. I come from the village upon these mountains. I had not meant to intrude here, I only wish to seek shelter from the storm outside.’ His clothes and hair clung to his body, the cold air slowly crawling its way under his skin. If he were to leave, surely he wouldn’t survive the night. The village was too far from the ruins. He had no choice. _

_ ‘Mayvin?’ It bared teeth as it stalked towards the man. ‘I would be a fool to trust the word of another human.’ _

_ ‘I mean you no harm. I only wish to stay the night.’ The man repeated but even so, he reached under his cloak, where he kept a dagger concealed. He gripped the handle with icy fingers as the figure approached _

_ ‘Lies. You may change your name to your appearance, but your heart will never change. Your kind is malevolent to us and your kind is not welcome here.’ _

_ ‘My kind..?’ The man froze, taking time to stare at the figure. Impossible, it looked just as human as he was, but its words… He had heard rumors about this place — after all, those rumors were what led him to the ruins in the first place — and how often there were mysterious sightings.  _

_ Wind would blow with a force strong enough to knock a house down and humans would only feel a gentle tickle. Water would flow up the mountain instead of down. The mountains would seem to change with each passing day, rendering even the most experienced travellers lost. Wildfires would start and stop in an instant, the only proof of their existence being the remnants of smoke in the air. _

_ There was no mistake. Those must be the work of a seraph, but to  _ see  _ one itself..?" _

_ "Leave!” _

_ The ground shook under the man’s feet, but he held his position, dagger still concealed. He tried to insist again that he had no malicious means, but the seraph was paying no attention. It bolted straight at the man, fingers like claws headed straight for his heart, his shaking hand clutching his dagger as the earth roared around them. He could see the features of the seraph now. Eyes green and purple with white hair that glowed in the light.  _

_ A face, contorted with rage.  _

_ The man pulled his hand free of his cloak _

_ Held his hands in front his body _

_ Shut his eyes _

_ And waited. _

_ The claws never came. The seraphim stopped in front of him, faces mere inches apart as it stared into his eyes. The man opened his eyes, but didn’t dare breathe. The earth stopped shaking, the chill from the man’s damp clothes seemed to fade, and the howl of the storm outside silenced as time stopped. The man’s dagger rested comfortably in its sheath under his cloak, its weight his only anchor to reality as the seraphim stared into his eyes. _

_ ‘You are not Mayvin,’ the seraphim said slowly. It backed away from the man. ‘No human could disguise their heart.’ _

_ The man let his hands drop to his sides. ‘My heart?’ _

_ ‘To have come from the mountain village… it is no surprise that your heart is free from malevolence.  _ His _ heart, Mayvin’s, was made of malevolence.’ The seraphim muttered, more to itself than anything. “Impossible… I had thought he was too far gone to have… was I mistaken?’ _

_ ‘This Mayvin… was he somebody you knew before?’ The man had heard about his ancestors, their journeys to discover seraphim before they had passed their teachings and duties on to him. Perhaps… _

_ ‘ _ Knew?’  _ The seraph’s smile sent shivers down the man’s back. ‘How could I forget the heart of a human so plagued with malevolence?’ It held out its hand, staring at its palm. ‘Even now, we struggle to deal with the aftermath of the destruction he brought upon us. But your heart…’ The seraphim touched the center of the man’s chest. ‘I have yet to find a human with a heart this pure. How can this be?’ _

_ To this, the man had no response. The seraphim waved its finger and the water from the man’s clothes were lifted into the air, forming a ball of water in the seraphim’s hand. Carelessly, it tossed the orb away, where it collapsed onto the ground with a splash.  _

_ ‘Quite interesting indeed... It is far too dangerous for a heart like yours to be around the Empyrean’s throne. However, for one night, you should be safe. One night, and nothing more. I will have you leave by dawn.’ _

_ The man blinked and the seraph was gone. _

"What a strange seraph. What do you think he meant by it was too dangerous near the Empyreans? Are they come kind of king?" Sorey spoke up for the first time since Mikleo started reading. He'd been engrossed in the story, but now that they'd gone through the first part of it, questions were beginning to surface.

“I’ve heard about the Empyreans. They are the highest form of seraphim.” Seeing Sorey’s confused look, he ventured on. “Seraphim don’t really have a hierarchy, but there are different types of seraphim. The Empyreans are like gods, even to us seraphim. I’ve also heard of Prime Lords and Sub Lords, but I am not quite sure where they lie.”

“And there was an entire throne dedicated to these Empyreans?”

“It’s been lost for hundreds of years now.” Mikleo said softly. “It must be nothing but ruins now, if it still exists. If it ever existed.”

Sorey leaned back. “Man… imagine exploring that place. Maybe we’d meet one of the Empyreans.”

“I’m not sure if they would be kind towards a human. But… perhaps they would like you.”

“Because I have a pure heart?” Sorey teased. “Speaking of which, the seraph in the story mentioned a heart of malevolence. Is that the opposite of a pure heart?”

Mikleo paused. “Yes… it is. A malevolent heart is dangerous.”

“How do you know if somebody’s heart is malevolent?”

“I… can’t say for sure. I don’t know if it’s okay for me to talk about it. It’s—”

Sorey lifted a hand to cut Mikleo off. “If it’s classified information, you don’t need to tell me. I won’t pry.”

“...Thank you, Sorey.” Mikleo had the barest hint of a smile. “But, perhaps I can tell you about the Empyreans. I can ask Fethmus Mioma about it.”

“She seems to know a lot of stuff about this, huh? Does she have a rank?”

“I told you, there is no official hierarchy. However, in the castle, there are some seraphim that are of a higher class than others. Fethmus Mioma is one of the highest, right before the royal family.”

“Are there any humans that high up?”

“Thinking of worming your way into the castle?” Mikleo let out a soft laugh at Sorey’s widened eyes and red cheeks. “I could put in a good name for you. All that aside, there are some humans there. Lady Maltran is one of them and one of her students, Alisha, is well-respected by the seraphim.”

“You’ve told me about Alisha before. The blonde knight, right?”

“Yes, that’s her. Even Fethmus Mioma respects her, to the point where she offered her human name.”

“Wow. That’s pretty impressive. I wouldn’t mind meeting this Alisha.”

“Perhaps I can introduce you to her, and you can introduce me to Rose.”

Sorey chuckled. The image of a prim and proper Mikleo meeting with the hyper and confident Rose was too much. Then he remembered. “You know, Rose is the one who eats sugar on the daily. Perhaps she’d be too rowdy for somebody like you.”

“Rowdy? You should see some of the knights. I think I can handle her.”

“Alright, then…” Maybe Rose would change her mind upon meeting Mikleo. She wouldn’t go so far as to insult his friend, would she..? He wasn’t like the other seraphim Sorey had heard about.

“Is there an issue, Sorey?”

“No, not at all. I was just thinking about how we’re going to introduce ourselves.” Sorey said. Rose didn’t exactly hate the knights, so there should be no issue with her meeting up with Alisha. On second thought, she’d be oddly suspicious of Sorey introducing her to a random knight out of the blue.

“Well, you just missed your chance. Alisha stopped by a couple of days ago to deliver the final report on Marlind in Lady Maltran’s place. She should be back in another week or so.”

“That’s pretty responsible.”

“You could learn a thing or two from her.”

“Hey! I finished my chores for today. Most of them, at least. I just need to prepare and cook my dinner. I’m having prickleboar.” Sorey thought for a moment. “Actually… prickleboar  _ does _ take a while to prepare, but…”

Mikleo waved him off. “There’s no need. I understand. We’ve both been away from home for long now.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Here, you can take the Celestial Record.” Sorey began to pack up his supplies. “That way, you can ask about it in the castle.”

“This book is forbidden for a reason, Sorey. I don’t think it would be wise to start waving it around.”

“Keep it a secret then. Do you think Fethmus Mioma would mind?”

Sorey picked up the Celestial Record, after taking care to mark their spot. He handed it over to Mikleo, who sighed but took the book anyway. For all he huffed about it being forbidden, he was surprisingly compliant to take the book. With how stubborn he normally was, he may as well have been shouting 'I want the Celestial Record!' “I suppose it’s worth a try. I’ll keep it safe for you, Sorey.”

“I know you will.” His hand lingered on the book, just barely brushing Mikleo’s own, then it was gone, the Celestial Record vanishing under Mikleo’s travelling cloak.  “See you soon, I guess.”

“Goodbye, Sorey. Perhaps next time we meet, I can introduce you to Alisha.”

“I’ll be waiting!”

* * *

 

Sorey was back in Ladylake, prowling around the castle, but there was no Alisha (though, if he was being honest, he wasn't sure if he wanted to meet her. How would Mikleo explain their friendship?). He hadn’t seen the knights return, though it hadn’t been one week, so it wasn’t surprising. He could just barely see into the castle’s garden. Mikleo was talking to a lady dressed in fine silk and lace, with beautiful hair that ran down her back like a waterfall, stopping barely above her heels. He couldn’t see her face from his position, but he’d seen enough to know who she was. The seraphim of fire. Fethmus Mioma. The seraphim whose devastating fire in battle tore through beasts, whose healing powers that gave breath to dying soldiers. It was only natural that he’d feel a  _ bit _ jealous of Mikleo speaking with her. They could even be talking about the Empyreans.

Sorey had seen her once before, years back, in Elysia. An ill villager whose mysterious sickness would not be healed by simple remedies. Fethmus Mioma had visited Elysia, her eyes calm and caring as she listened to the villager’s pleas. She’d entered the house and only a short while later, left, the villager miraculously healed. Did all seraphim have that healing power?

Sorey left after that, unwilling to distract Mikleo, and asked him about it the next time they met, which so happened to be in his house in Elysia. He’d only responded vaguely, saying something about different types of healing..? Mikleo hadn’t the ability to cure illnesses, unlike Fethmus Mioma.

“At most, I can heal superficial battle wounds. Burns I specialize in for reasons that should be obvious, I hope.”

“Water seraph, right? I get you. What about Fethmus Mioma?”

“She is one of the best healers we have, if not the best. I am privileged to be training under her.”

“Even if you’re goofing off reading history books instead of practicing your artes?”

Mikleo threw his notebook at Sorey. Even so, he was smiling, albeit a slight pained one at that. “Yes. I suppose I should be more focused on my training. Focusing on the past is important, but I must not neglect to think about the future as well.”

“The future?”

“Protecting Ladylake. Leading it to prosperity. Eliminating the hellions.” Mikleo’s smile was gone, eyes turned towards the window of Sorey’s house, Ladylake’s silhouette just barely visible in the horizon. “You and your friends got attacked by hellions just outside of Ladylake’s border. If Lady Maltran didn't arrive, you would have…”

“Hey now,” Sorey’s voice was firm. “You did what you could. That’s more than enough. Besides, just because you’re the prince doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself. You’re a person, too, just like everybody else.”

“Not everybody has a kingdom to protect.” Mikleo muttered. “I cannot keep fooling around like this, not when there are still issues that plague us.”

“I… guess.” What was there to say to that? Sorey could barely imagine the struggle of talking care of Elysia, let alone an entire kingdom. But…

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag the conversation down like this.” Mikleo stood. “I… should leave. I’ve been here quite a while, anyway.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You don’t need to work all the time.” His words were fruitless, but he had to try. Mikleo set to gathering his notes, fingers brushing briefly by the Celestial Record. Not a second after, Sorey was thrusting the Celestial Record into Mikleo’s arms.

“Sorey, what? I can’t…”

“Take it. I can barely get through anything without you, anyway. It’s easier when you’re teaching me.”

“But—”

“If you have spare time, in between working, you can read it. It doesn’t seem like there’s much to do in the castle.” Sorey said. Mikleo opened his mouth to speak, but Sorey raised a wagging finger. “It’s not a crime to enjoy yourself, y’know.”

“And what about you? Will you mind not having it?”

“I’ve lent it to you before, and you kept it safe, so I don’t have any problems with it. I know I can trust you.” Sorey shrugged, but Mikleo’s eyes went wide. Then, as quickly as it began, he fell back into a mask of nonchalance.

“...If you’re sure. Thank you for having me.” Mikleo threw his hood over his head and with a wave, left Sorey’s house. Through the window, Sorey could see Mikleo darting behind houses, just out of view of the remaining villagers. Even with the sun still high in the sky, he was able to avoid detection and then, he was out of sight.

Sorey sighed, looking down at his notes. He enjoyed his time spent with Mikleo — why wouldn’t he? Mikleo was one of Sorey’s closest friends. — but as of late, he had to ask himself if Mikleo enjoyed spending time with  _ him. _ Sure, it was fun, but if their meetings were interfering with Mikleo’s responsibilities…

Sorey collapsed back onto his head, staring at the ceiling. Being a prince truly was complicated. That didn’t mean he was going to stop trying to spend time with Mikleo. Even if that meant— 

* * *

 

“Sorey?!”

“Hi, Mikleo!”

“What are you doing here?!” Mikleo hissed, leaning close to the gates of the castle garden fence. “One of the knights could see you!”

“There were none here and I saw you in the garden, so I thought…” Sorey’s voice was remarkably calm despite the fact that he was dangerously close to trespassing.

“I hope you realize that the guards  _ have _ been taking notice of you lately! They’re changing shifts right now, they’re due to be back any minute!"

"I came here to talk to you. I'm guessing you're not free?"  _Why_ was he so casual about this?

"I am, but if I were to go out right now then... Oh, there's no time to complain, come inside!” Mikleo twisted the lock and yanked open the gate, causing Sorey to nearly fall on top of him as he stumbled inside the castle garden.

“Wait, what? Am I allowed to—”

“No, which is why you can’t be seen! Hurry!” And Mikleo was leading Sorey through the gardens, the stations of the guards running through his mind. If they took a left, they’d avoid Uno’s division, then a right, to the stairs that weren’t often used and…

“Here it is.” Mikleo stopped by a window. After checking through the hallways, he began to fiddle with the lock. Sorey took the time to catch his breath, gazing over the hallways. Having been rushed at Mikleo, he hadn’t the time to properly look at the castle. This was the first time he was inside and there was so much to see..!

“Sorey!” Mikleo was already outside the window, on the castle’s roof. He motioned for Sorey to join him.

“Is this… safe?”

“I’ve done it thousands of times before. It’s safe, now  _ hurry _ , before we get caught!”

Sorey climbed out the window without a moment's hesitation. He slid it shut, then turned around to face Mikleo. “What are we doing here?”

Mikleo pointed to a window above Sorey’s head. “That’s the way to my bedroom. Nobody will disturb us there.”

“And… how exactly will we get there?”

“We climb. I can go first and show you where to grab the tiles and ledges, or I can stay behind just in case you slip.” It was during times like these did Mikleo wish he was a wind seraph, but they would have to make do. Sorey shuffled his feet.

“Um… I think I’ll go last. Just so I know where to grab.” In all honesty, Mikleo was near 100% sure he would never be able to catch Sorey. He’d be crushed under his weight. 

“Pay close attention.” Mikleo took hold of a tile, and he was set. With more ease than he would like to admit, he hefted himself upwards, taking the occasional glance below to see if Sorey was following close behind. For somebody’s first time, he was doing quite well. Mikleo shuddered as he remembered  _ his _ first time climbing the wall, or to be more specific, he remembered the pain in his behind after he fell off.

His window was unlocked, as per usual. He reached down and hauled Sorey into the room. Sorey straightened up, looking around. “This is your… room?”

“It’s quite plain, compared to yours.” Plain was an understatement. A bed in the corner, a desk with stacks of papers of kingdom duties his mother entrusted him with, a bookshelf filled with history books and frayed notebooks, and the Celestial Record sitting on top of it all.

“You get a great view, though. You can see the entire kingdom from here.” Sorey said, breathless. He stuck his head out the window, hair blowing in the breeze.

“I think the view of the mountains from Elysia can give this a run for its money.”

“I don’t know about that. I could stare at this forever.”

“Before that, I’d like to ask you just what you were doing earlier. You seem to enjoy going into places you are not allowed to go in.”

“That was  _ one _ time, Mikleo. I swear.” Sorey groaned. “Shouldn’t you be thanking me for coming all this way to see you?”

“I’ve brought a human into the castle and into my bedroom. If anybody were to find out, I don’t think they’d approve. If anything, you’re a nuisance.” Mikleo’s tone was soft and Sorey laughed, trying his best to stifle the sound.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

“Good. That means I can finally tell you about the Empyreans. Here, you can sit on my bed.” Mikleo sat down at the chair by his desk.

“You found some stuff out? That’s amazing!” Sorey hopped down onto the bed, leaning forward, face practically glowing.

“I asked Fethmus Mioma about it. She was… hesitant to tell me the true story, but she did tell me some things.” Hopefully Sorey wouldn’t ask why. Mikleo didn’t need to tell him about Lailah’s past and strange behaviour. That was for her to decide.

“Like what?”

“The Empyreans are also known as the Five Lords.”

“Five? There’s a fifth one? Aren't there only four elements?"  


“Yes. One for wind, water, earth, fire and the leader of all. They are seraphim, and while their true essence does not change, they can be replaced.”

“Replaced? You mean that the current Empyreans might be different from the ones in the story?”

“Perhaps. The Empyreans’ duties are to give blessings to our continent, as opposed to just a tiny area. I’m sure you know that my mother, Queen Muse, has blessed the kingdom of Ladylake.”

“To keep it safe from hellions.”

“Yes. Blessings can only do so much, but things would be a lot more worse if the Empyreans were not there.” For one, malevolence would run rampant, even more so than it was doing now. “Apparently, once a seraphim becomes an Empyrean, they can never come back to our world. They become one with the land, however, they are powerful enough to retain a physical form for a brief moment of time, often in the form of a dragon. Or, at least, that is the case with the leader.”

“A dragon… I’ve never seen one before.” Sorey’s childlike curiosity was almost painful to look at.

“I would hope that you haven’t. In most cases, a dragon is the most dangerous thing you can ever meet.” For both a human and a seraph. Mikleo dug his nails into his palms. He’d never admitted it to anyone, but the thought of a dragon, of  _ becoming _ a dragon, was his greatest fear. “Only the Empyreans have… sentient thought as a dragon, to put it simply.”

“And the leader… what was his name? Was it ever mentioned in the Celestial Record?”

“I did not look any further in the Celestial Record after our last meeting, I’m afraid. As for the leader’s name… I don’t know.” Mikleo admitted. Sorey’s expression fell. “I could not ask for more information, out of respect for Fethmus Mioma.”

“I guess she must have a good reason for keeping it hidden.” Sorey said thoughtfully, his hand on his chin. “Well, it’s no big deal.”

“Yes, we still found out quite a fair bit about the Empyreans. I wonder if the Celestial Record holds anymore information? From what we know, Mayvin only encountered a seraphim in the Empyrean’s throne, not an Empyrean themselves.”

“Guess there’s only one way to find out.” Sorey walked over to the bookshelf the Celestial Record was sitting upon. He pulled the book down from the shelf. “What do you think the seraph was doing at the Empyrean’s throne? D’you think it—”

Sorey’s voice abruptly vanished, his eyes focused outside the window. The Celestial Record slipped from his hands, falling to the floor with a thud as he ran to the window, his hands gripping the pane. They were shaking.

“Sorey..?” Mikleo asked tentatively. Mikleo internally pleaded for Sorey to only be enamored with the view, but his white knuckles and pale face were signs that it was something much more. It took all of his effort to walk over to the window, and upon seeing what Sorey’s gaze was locked on, his blood ran cold. 

Smoke. Smoke, dark and heavy, steadily rising up from within the woods in the distance. The woods that stood on the mountains overlooking Ladylake. The mountains that— 

“Elysia,” Sorey whispered hoarsely. “That’s… that’s where Elysia is…!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. Exams are coming up, so I'm not sure if I'll have a smaller chapter next or a longer chapter up after they're over. Anyways, I'm trying out some new pacing here and there and practicing a lot of new things, so ah, tell me what you think? Thank you for reading~


	7. Burn

Elysia was on fire.

Sorey could see it now, the flames rising above the trees, painting the sky orange and black. He’d passed by villagers fleeing, smelling of soot and covered in ash. They’d only said that Elysia was burning before Sorey had taken off.  _ How?  _ He had left Elysia only a few hours earlier when he had gone to Ladylake. He’d left it as Elysia had always been, there was nothing different, what had happened,  _ what had happened?  _ What could have caused the fire? Why was Elysia on  _ fire? _

Sorey covered his mouth with his arm, a valiant attempt to block out the smoke. The horse he was riding on remained calm throughout the desperate ride. It seemed like the horses trained at the castle were accustomed to this sort of chaos. Sorey should have been feeling guilty for taking one of the horses from the castle’s stables and ditching Mikleo without a word, but he’d understand. He had to get to Elysia and nothing would stop him. Sorey tightened his hold on the horse’s reins and urged it onwards.

Then, he broke through the canopy of trees, to a living nightmare, and he almost wished he hadn’t come. It wasn’t a simple house fire gone wrong. He knew that from the smoke and the villagers that it wasn’t something small, but to see the fire itself... Elysia was beautiful, green, bountiful in nature and people, alive with life. Now, it was like Sorey was looking at a different village entirely. Orange flames danced along the villager’s houses, crackling as if alive, as if it was a beast, tearing through and devouring Elysia as Sorey had knew it.

There was not a single home that had avoided the flames, Sorey’s included.  _ Gramps’  _ included. Sorey forced his horse onwards, as close as he could get without scaring it off. As if summoned, a villager, Mason, came running towards Sorey, just at the edge of Elysia’s gate.

“What’s going on?!” Sorey dismounted, checking over Mason for any injuries. At most, he had a few mild scratches marred on his skin, but other than that, he seemed relatively unharmed. Mason grabbed at Sorey’s shoulders, his grip tight and panicked. 

“I.. don’t know! It all happened so suddenly. I was in my house, when I heard some crazy laughter, so I went outside to go check it out and... and next thing I knew, everything was on fire!”

“Crazy laughter?” Sorey pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “No, we can’t worry about that right now. Is there anybody left behind? Where’s Gramps?” Sorey’s voice cracked as he begged whatever was out there to please,  _ please _ let Gramps be safe.

“Before the fires started, Zenrus left to go check something out in the woods. He didn’t return yet and I’m not sure where he is, but please, Sorey, you have to help us!” Mason pleaded.

“Here,” Sorey handed Mason the horse’s reins. “Take the most injured to Ladylake and hurry! I’ll see what I can do.” By the time he’d finished saying that sentence, he was already off, sprinting towards the nearest house that was still standing. Those closest to Elysia’s gate were gone already, the flames having done their damage and moved on to their next prey. Sorey pushed Gramps to the back of his mind. He probably came across the fleeing villagers and was helping them to Ladylake. He was made of tougher things than anything. He was safe, he was far away from Elysia and its horrors.

Sorey reached a house with an unlocked door and a roof that was just beginning to cave in. He threw open the door, a wave of heat and smoke slamming him in the chest. Sorey scanned the house for any signs of life. Empty. He moved on to the next house and next house. All empty, he found, relief swelling up from within his heart, that quickly died down when a villager approached him, cradling their left wrist in their hand. As she got closer, Sorey could tell who she was under all the soot and dirt. She lived with her sister and mother, all of whom treated Sorey with great respect, the siblings even helping him with his chores from time to time.

Was it only this morning, that Sorey was helping them hang their laundry in the sun to dry before he went down to Ladylake to meet up with Mikleo? It all seemed like it was an eternity ago, where his biggest worry was running out of time to read the Celestial Record with Mikleo.

“Morgan! Are you alright?” Sorey called out.

“Yes,” Morgan coughed out, but the worry in her eyes didn’t vanish. “But my sister… We were both in our house when it began to collapse and she… she got stuck inside, Sorey—”

“I’m on it.” Without a second thought, Sorey was running towards Morgan’s house. The front door was left wide open, but inside, debris was crowded around the door, embers lying dangerously on the beams of fallen wood. He paused by the doorway, calling out, “Hello? Ian? Where are you?”

“So—” A cough, from somewhere within. “Sorey?” That was Ian, alright. Her voice was muffled and strained, but it was there. “I-I’m over here!” She called out. It came from the direction of the fireplace in their house. Sorey was lucky Ian and Morgan’s house was a place he was familiar with.

“I’m coming to get you, don’t worry!” Sorey unsheathed his sword and swung it downwards, attacking the debris blocking the doorway. The wood splintered easily under his blade, and Sorey pushed forward, stepping over splintered wood and debris. Inside the house, the smoke was denser and the fire even hotter than anything Sorey had ever experienced, Sorey’s every breath feeling like there were daggers stabbing at his lungs. His eyes began to water as he squinted, searching for a path through the fallen wood.

He could hear Ian coughing as the heat crawled over his skin. He’d only been exposed a moment and already, it was becoming unbearable. A support beam then crashed down from above, carrying the flames from the roof with it. Sorey narrowly avoided being crushed under its weight, but the flames from the support beam was only more fuel to the fire within the house.  _ Shit.  _ Being a water seraph would certainly come in handy right about now. Or being a seraph in general. Or having a water seraph nearby.

_ Please, Mikleo, hurry. _

Sorey took as deep a breath as he could manage and, with his sword held in front of his face for protection, charged through the debris towards the sounds of Ian’s coughs, ignoring the way the heat and debris tore at him, the debris carving red scars among the soot clinging onto his skin. Sorey ducked under a large rod that must have fallen from the wood and there was Ian, almost camouflaged in the inky smoke. She was crouched over, one hand on the ground for support, while her other was over her mouth.

“Ian!” Sorey was by her side in an instant, a hand on her back, but her coughing didn’t stop. “I’m here. Can you walk?”

Ian opened her mouth, perhaps to respond, perhaps it was to cough, perhaps it was to warn Sorey. He never knew. There was a loud popping sound and a second later, an explosion erupted from the other end of the house, sending bits and pieces of rubble flying. Sorey had barely enough time to throw his own body over Ian’s before they were pushed away by the force of the explosion and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, hm. Special points to those who know where I got Ian and Morgan's name from~.
> 
> A short chapter for now. My exams start tomorrow and oh my, are they my punishment for burning Elysia? Oh dear. Once again, thank you for reading and for sticking around this far <3


	8. Aftermath

_ Where… am I? _

A village, a village on fire, the flames high enough to touch the sky, creating a wall of flames that surrounded the area, caging Sorey within. The village wasn’t Elysia. It had its similarities, but Sorey knew Elysia like the back of his hand, knew that he wasn’t in Elysia. This village was different, but the flames were all too familiar.

There were screams, so many screams, but who was screaming? Sorey swung his head from side to side, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. Where was everyone? Where was  _ he?  _ If all the villagers had escaped, then where was the screaming coming from? Sorey ran past house after house, trying his best to ignore the crackling of the heat and the collapsing houses as he searched for the source of the screams until at last, he found it; a woman, hunched over just outside a burning house.

Sorey took a step in her direction but as he did, as if on cue, the woman’s head snapped upwards, her gaze locking onto Sorey’s face. She stumbled towards him and once close enough, latched her fingers onto his shoulders with frenzied eyes and tears pouring freely down her cheeks.

“Please, you must help me!” The woman pleaded.

“Miss? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Sorey scanned her body, but there were no signs of visible injuries. In fact, she seemed untouched by the destruction around her.

“No, no!” The woman furiously shook her head. “My baby, he’s in the house, he’s going to burn! Please, you have to save my baby!” She pointed towards the house she had been standing beside. Flames were peeking out of the windows on the second floor, but surely they were travelling quickly to the bottom floor.

“Alright, miss. I’ll save your baby.” Sorey said, but the woman refused to let go.

“My baby! He’s in the fire!”

“I know, I know. I’m going to help him, okay? Just take it easy,” Sorey tried his best to keep his voice calm — who could blame a mother worrying about her baby? — but he didn’t want to risk wasting any more time. “I need you to let go of me so I can help your baby.”

The woman showed no signs of letting go, instead continuing to babble about her baby. Sorey eventually gave up on trying to reason with her, and pried her hands off of him. Leaving the crying woman behind, Sorey dove into the house. Once he got her baby, she’d be fine. Both her and the baby.

The house was completely trashed. It was as if a tornado had torn through and within it all, the muffled sounds of a baby crying could be heard, but from where? Sorey prayed for luck, then ran into an adjacent room, his skin too adjusted to a fire’s familiar burn to hurt any more. The room must have been what used to be a dining room. A table and chairs, all mangled and charred black, the ground littered with the broken remains of plates and glasses. There were two doorways: one was to a kitchen where flames were creeping in, the other was to a shut door.

The baby’s cries were coming from the door. Sorey pushed aside a crumpled chair and hurried to the door, jiggling the doorknob. Locked. He reached for his sword, only to realize that his sword, along with his sheath, were missing. Sorey tested the doorknob once more. Still locked. Sorey took a step backward, then threw his weight against the door with all his might. It shook in its hinges, but remained shut. Again, again, again, Sorey threw himself against the door until he was positive bruises were beginning to pepper his arm.

At long last, the door burst open as Sorey fell through collapsing onto the ground, falling onto his side quite painfully. Despite his limbs protesting, Sorey pushed himself upwards and took a look around the locked room. It was a nursery, with the baby’s crib right in the center. Sorey staggered towards the bed, where the baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket. So tight, that he could barely see it. If it weren’t for the baby’s ear-splitting cries, he would have assumed it only to be a pile of cloth.

Sorey went to move aside the blanket from where he guessed the baby’s face to be, but as he raised his hand, he heard a pop.

_ No… not again! _

Sorey moved to cover the baby with his own body, preparing for the eventual blast, begging that the house wouldn’t collapse on him. The flames grew around him, moving closer and closer, the tips of the fire slowly climbing over the baby’s crib and then Sorey’s snapped open as he woke up gasping for air, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

_ Where am I now..? _

His vision was fuzzy and he was lying on something soft, a warm sensation on his side. Warm. Not the scorching heat of a fire, but a warmth that soothed his aching body. A ringing in his ears had replaced the cries he had heard in his dream.

_...Oh.  _

It was a dream, just a dream. That place wasn’t Elysia. There was no sobbing woman, no disembodied screams, no burning house, no baby. That burning village wasn’t Elysia, but Elysia was…

“Oh my! Did I wake you?”

A blur of white, red and gold came into his line of vision. Sorey blinked a couple of times, chasing the fuzziness away. In came into view Fethmus Mioma, her figure leaning over Sorey’s bed. 

“I’m… fine.” Sorey’s throat was sore and protested with every word. In fact, he was anything but fine. His body was sore all over and the ringing in his ears had yet to leave. The right side of his body was particularly painful — the same side he’d been using to slam open the door in his dream. Sorey attempted to flex his fingers on his right hand, only to stop with a hiss of pain. Yeah, that  _ hurt. _ He looked back to Fethmus Mioma. “Where am I?”

“You are in Ladylake’s castle infirmary.” She replied and Sorey’s heart sank. “You were brought here by one of the soldiers from Elysia.”

“So that means…”

Neither Sorey nor Fethmus Mioma seemed to want to say it out loud. Eventually, however, Fethmus Mioma caved as she spoke what Sorey was dreading. “Yes. Elysia was on fire. About a day and a half ago. Since then, we’ve managed to put out the fires, but…” She couldn’t seem to look at Sorey. “I’m sorry.”

Sorey gritted his teeth as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He almost wished he was back in that burning village in his dream. That burning village was only a dream, it didn’t happen, it was only a dream, only a dream. Why couldn’t the same be said for Elysia? Why and how did the fire happen?

“Are… are the others okay?” Sorey croaked. His voice was wavering. “What happened to Ian — the girl I was with? And Gramps..! What happened to Zenrus, do you know where he is?”

“Gramps?” Fethmus Mioma’s eyes went wide as she raised a hand over her mouth. “You are Zenrus’ grandson? That must mean you are Sorey!”

Momentarily, Sorey forgot about the pain as he struggled to sit up to get a better look at Fethmus Mioma. “You know who Gramps is?”

“I have worked with him in the past. He spoke of you from time to time. The last time I saw you, you were only a baby. Oh! Forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself!” She placed a hand on her chest and did a slight bow. “I am known as Fethmus Mioma, a fire seraphim. I work directly under Her Majesty here at the castle.”

“Yeah… I’ve heard about you. You’ve visited Elysia in the past.” Another pang of pain shot through Sorey’s heart. She wouldn’t be able to visit Elysia again.  _ Sorey  _ wouldn’t be able to visit Elysia again. His home, everyone’s homes,  _ everything  _ was gone and — no! No, now was not the time to think about this. Sorey pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. No, there were other things that took priority. “Does that mean Gramps is okay?”

For the first time, Fethmus Mioma smiled. “Yes. He is fine. He helped the soldiers a great deal in assisting the injured to Ladylake. At the moment, he’s resting in another room, but he has stopped by to visit you. When he wakes up, would you like me to tell him you’re awake?”

“Yeah… yeah, that would be great. Thanks.” Ideally, Sorey would have wanted to see Gramps right then and there, to touch him and make sure he was  _ really  _ there, but the events at Elysia had taken a toll on everybody. He could wait.

“And that girl, Ian, you said her name was? She will be alright. I heard that you went inside a burning house to help her?”

“She was stuck inside. When I found her, everything kinda… exploded, and that’s when I went unconscious.”

“You are very brave.” Fethmus Mioma gently laid one of her hands on Sorey’s arm. “It’s thanks to you that she was saved. Without you, she would have perished. I’m sure she and her family are very thankful.”

Sorey shifted under her gaze. “I was just doing what felt right. I’m sure they would have done the same for me.” Were his cheeks burning from his wounds or was he just blushing?

“My, you are humble as well! I can see that Zenrus raised you well.”

“I-I guess? Anyways, thank you for helping us all.” Sorey said, determined to change the subject.

“Of course. It’s our duty to, there is no need to thank us.” Fethmus Mioma stood up. “Are you hurting anywhere else? I had just finished healing your arm when you woke up.”

“Um… there’s nothing that’s really hurting me more than it should?” It would be a lie to say he wasn’t in pain, but he didn’t want to worry Fethmus Mioma either.

“I suppose that’s to be expected. I’m sorry about that. Perhaps you should try to get some rest? I know a lot has happened.”

Rest… yeah, that sounded like a good idea. “I’ll do that then. Thanks again, Fethmus Mioma. And, if Zenrus is awake, can you tell him I said that I’m glad he’s okay?”

“You can trust me with that. Sleep well, Sorey.” Fethmus Mioma gently pulled the blanket on Sorey’s bed to just above his stomach and, with a final wave, moved to another patient’s bedside. Sorey sighed, sinking back into his pillow, shutting his eyes. He really  _ was  _ tired… Elysia was gone, but at least most of the villagers were safe. Ian, Morgan, Gramps, they were all safe. Perhaps even Elysia would be safe, if only in his dreams.   
  


* * *

 

“Sorey? ...Sorey!”

Not this again. Sorey mumbled incoherently and batted away at a hand that was gently pushing at his shoulder. It was completely silent and dark and the perfect atmosphere to fall asleep in. Unfortunately, the hand that was poking at him wouldn’t leave.

“Sorey? It’s me, Mikleo.”

Sorey opened his eyes and turned towards the sound of the voice. Through the darkness, he could barely make out Mikleo’s pale features, his violet eyes shimmering in the moonlight. He was crouched over Sorey’s bed and, after seeing that he was awake, gave a sigh of relief.

“Mikleo? Is that really you..? What time is it?”

“Past midnight. It took a while for the infirmary to clear out and I had to make sure everyone else was asleep.” Mikleo’s voice was a hushed whisper. 

“Nice of you to wake me.” Sorey replied. “At least we didn’t butt heads this time.”

Mikleo groaned. “I think I’ve learned my lesson. I’m sorry to wake you, this was the only time I could find to talk to you in private. If you’re too tired, I can always come back another time.”

“No, no, it’s alright! I’ve been doing nothing but sleeping, anyway.” Sorey tried to sit up, but Mikleo’s hands were on his shoulders in seconds.

“Don’t sit up. I’ve seen your injuries, it’s best not to move.” Mikleo said. Sorey nodded, but Mikleo didn’t move his hands. Instead, he ducked his head, biting his lip as his fingers tightened their grip.

“Mikleo..?”

“You injuries were… I almost thought we were too late. We barely got there in time. When they carried you out, I thought you were — I thought you were going to…”

“H-Hey, I’m fine now, aren’t I?” Sorey, moving his good arm, grasped Mikleo’s hand. “You guys did more for us than we could ever ask for.”

“I know, but still... “ Mikleo sighed. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to heal all your wounds.”

“You were the one who healed me?”

“I told you before, I’m quite experienced in dealing with burns. I’m a water seraph, remember?” Mikleo forced a weak, empty chuckle. “There were so many burns on your chest, Sorey."

“Hey, look at this,” Sorey threw the blanket off his chest, revealing white bandages and, where his skin was showing, scars that ran across his body. “See? I’m fine! You’ve healed all my wounds better than somebody else could have.”

Mikleo spluttered as his face turned bright red. “S-Sorey! You can’t just..!”

“Oh, sorry. They’re pretty gross. I should have asked if you wanted to see them.” Sorey covered himself up with his blanket.

“That’s — that’s not quite it…” Mikleo pressed his palm to his forehead, then sat down on the bed next to Sorey. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Besides…  _ that _ , I’m glad you’re okay, Sorey. And I’m sorry about Elysia.”

“Do you know what happened?”

Mikleo surveyed the rest of the room. It had been silent, save for the clink of armour as soldiers marched outside the infirmary. “We’re… not quite sure as of yet. We’ve been asking around and it seems like it was a person that did this. Perhaps a seraph or a hellion. I believe Muse wanted to speak with Zenrus, but she is too swamped with work at the moment.”

“Mu— Her Majesty knows Gramps?” First Fethmus Mioma and now the queen herself?

“Oh, that’s right! You’re Zenrus’ grandson. I can’t believe you never told me!”

“I, well, it never came up in our conversations. I didn’t know that you guys knew him. How do you know him anyway?”

“I don’t know him personally,” Mikleo pursed his lips. “But I’ve heard that he was once rather close with my mother and a couple of other people here at the castle. They often worked together to cleanse the land of malevo…” Mikleo stopped. “—lent hellions.” He finished.

“Wow. I can’t believe I didn’t know that. Did you ever meet me before we saw each other at the ruins? Fethmus Mioma said she saw me as a baby.”

“...No, I did not. I would have been just a baby, as you were.” Mikleo admitted.

“Wait,  _ how  _ old are you exactly?”

“The same age as you, I’ve heard. Yes, yes, I know, it’s rare to meet a seraph this young.” Mikleo said in response to Sorey’s questioning look. “It’s quite the coincidence that we’ve met, it seems.”

“I didn’t… expect that. But, I’m happy we met anyways.” Sorey grinned and Mikleo turned his head away to face a window. “Even if we had to fight some hellions to meet.”

“Yes… I am, too.” Mikleo’s voice was quiet, even for a whisper.

“Mikleo… everything alright?”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering. “I should be asking you that question.” He took a deep breath. “While you were asleep, Marlind was attacked. It was overtaken by hellions, presumably on the same day as Elysia, though we didn’t get the message until about a day later. There was a knight’s squad there, too. Lady Maltran, and Alisha…”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. From what you’ve told me about her, Alisha can handle herself and Lady Maltran is sure to scare any hellions away.” Sorey’s words fell flat, but Mikleo had the barest smile curled on his lips anyway.

“I appreciate the comfort. I hope they’re fine, too. We need witnesses about what happened. Marlind’s situation was just improving, too.”

“Then…”

“I’ve spoken to my mother about this, and she believes the same thing. The attacks on Elysia and Marlind must have been scripted. The hellions must have been leaving Marlind alone because they were preparing for that attack and we have no idea who’s leading them. The knights are in chaos, trying to find as much information as they can.”

“Why..? Why would a person do such a thing?” Sorey mumbled. “Why would somebody attack Elysia like this?”

Mikleo straightened up. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. I promise you, Sorey, we’ll find out who did this.” Mikleo whispered, as much to himself as to Sorey. “As the prince of Ladylake, I won’t allow anybody to harm the my people and anybody around us.”

“I know you’ll manage to do it.” For Marlind’s sake as much as Elysia’s. Sorey gripped Mikleo’s hand again, and this time, he returned the favour.

“I should let you rest now. I need to go to bed myself, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Or today, I suppose.”

“Right. The sooner I get healed, the sooner I’ll be able to help you search for whoever did this.”

Mikleo froze. “You want to help us?”

“Of course I do,” Sorey said. “I don’t want what happened to Elysia and Marlind to happen to any other place. I don’t want anybody else to get hurt. I couldn’t save Elysia,” Sorey willed his voice not to shake. “But maybe, I can help save someplace else. It’s the least I can do.”

“You’ve done enough, Sorey, but thank you. Really.” Mikleo let go of Sorey’s hand. “I’ll see you as soon as I have time and give you any updates on the situation, okay? Take care of yourself.”

"You too."

"Goodnight, Sorey."

“Goodnight, Mikleo.” Sorey whispered. Mikleo strolled to the door of the infirmary, where he pressed his ear against the door. Once he was sure there were no soldiers out, he, with one last nod towards Sorey, pushed open the door and then he was gone. Sorey held his hand to his chest, the same one that Mikleo was holding. The warmth from his hand was gone, leaving Sorey alone with nothing but the moonlight for company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live~! And, well, Sorey and Gramps and Ian lives as well.
> 
> I want to take a second here to thank everybody who's commented and left kudos and bookmarks and subscriptions and *everything*. Just the other day, I was re-reading some of these comments and smiling like an idiot. In public, no less! They really do make my day and I want to thank everyone who's left some form of feedback here. It may not seem like it, but they really touch my heart (*≧O≦*) /////
> 
> Thank you for reading~ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥


	9. Three May Keep a Secret...

“Do you need any help?”

“Sorey, I’m  _ sure  _ I don’t need any help.” Shion sighed. “This is the third time you’ve asked me in an hour.”

“I know, I know. But—” Sorey sighed. “I can’t just sit around here waiting. I want to do something.”

“I realize that, but I have everything handled. If I need anything, I’ll ask you for help, alright? Besides, you need to rest.” Shion spoke with the same tone a parent would use to scold their child. Sorey sat back down on his cot.

“Okay, I’ll rest.” Sorey mumbled. It had been three days since Sorey woke up in the infirmary and it had been two days since boredom stuck its claws into Sorey. The knights were strict about wandering and as Sorey’s injuries weren’t light by any means, he’d been subjected to bedrest. Morgan had stopped by, once, to thank Sorey for helping Ian, but she left quickly to resume sitting vigil by her sister’s bedside. He couldn’t blame her, but the lack of people to talk to was grating on Sorey’s nerves.

Shion was the knight assigned to the infirmary area Sorey was stuck in and thankfully, she was friendly enough for casual conversation, but as she had to attend to the other patients, there wasn’t much time to talk. Friendly as she was, Shion was also firm and refused to let Sorey help her or leave the infirmary (which was probably for the better, but still).

He sent a letter to Rose and Dezel, but writing on paper wasn’t the same and besides, they hadn’t responded yet. Shion didn’t report any incident of a merchant’s guild getting attacked, so Sorey could only hope that they were safe.

Mikleo’s conversations were also short-lived. Occasionally, he’d come into the infirmary to take a look at the burns, but he couldn’t risk standing around and chatting to Sorey. He hadn’t dropped by at night to see Sorey to chat and for good reason — Mikleo looked exhausted. From the tiny droplets of information he’d managed to whisper, Sorey had found out that the knights were in chaos. They lost part of their forces at Marlind, many more were injured in Elysia, and the rest were constantly at work. Which was worse: lying in bed doing nothing or pushing yourself to exhaustion?

Sorey fell back against his bed and laid his arm over his eyes. Daylight was bright against his eyelids, and sleep seemed unlikely, but there was nothing else he could do. He listened to the footsteps of knights walking back and forth, of small voices chatting, of bandages being wrapped and removed and of his own steady breaths.

Soon, he felt his eyes getting heavier as the warm daylight tried its best to coax him into sleep. Perhaps it would have, if it weren’t for the door to the infirmary swinging open and Shion’s voice ringing out, “Your Highness!”

Sorey peered out from under his arm. Shion was bowing and in front of her, Mikleo, dressed finely as always. Though, he’d lost the twin-tailed cape. He didn’t look much better than he had the previous day, but he didn’t look worse either. Mikleo spoke to Shion in a low voice, then surveyed the room, eyes hovering on Sorey for the briefest second.

He began to make his way around the room, checking on patients and healing what he could. Sorey himself was healing well, or so he had been told. His arm still ached and it still bore red, but it was healing. Fethmus Mioma had stopped by once or twice to heal up the other woudns on his body, while Mikleo had only focused on the burns. Sorey was practically bouncing in his bed as Mikleo neared, all too excited to chat, even for a minute.

“Hello, Sorey. May you give me your arm?” Mikleo’s voice was his formal one, but there was the faintest smile tugging at his lips. He was happy to see Sorey, too, but with the way Shion was hanging around, there was little doubt to say that he couldn’t speak what his face showed.

Still, Sorey couldn’t resist. Mikleo’s formality was too funny compared to his more… casual self. “Of course,  _ Your Highness. _ ” Sorey said, a little  _ too  _ slyly. He could have sworn he saw Mikleo roll his eyes as he pulled back his sleeve. Shion, thankfully, didn’t seem to catch on to Sorey’s snark.

“It’s healing well.” Mikleo remarked, his fingers lightly trailing over red-tinged skin. “I believe I do not need to heal it anymore with any seraphic artes. Some salve shall do just fine.”

“Would you like me to get it for you, Your Highness?” Shion was up in an instant and gone the next when Mikleo nodded in response. Now was the time to take his chance.

“Mikleo,” Sorey muttered. “Are you sure I can’t leave? I feel too cooped up in here.”

“I’m sorry about that, but we must stick to our rules.” Mikleo said. “If there was something I could do…”

“May I see Zenrus?” Sorey asked quickly. Please, if there was  _ one  _ thing he could have... Mikleo shot a glance at Shion.

“I’m… not quite sure. I can check in with the guards but I cannot offer any guarantees. I may be the prince, but I also need to set an example. I’m sorry, it isn’t our intention to separate people like this.”

“That’s fine. I was just wondering.” And he had been wondering that for nearly three days now. Shion took this lull in conversation as an opportunity to reappear with the healing salve in her hands.

“Here you are, Your Highness.”

“Thank you.” Mikleo unscrewed the lid and a pungent smell drifted from the container. The salve was like a white gel, but it wasn’t like any ordinary Apple Gel. It was specialized for burns. Sorey stuck his arm out as Mikleo dabbed his finger in the gel and gently held onto Sorey’s arm with his other hand to steady it.

The gel stung at first, Sorey pulling his arm back in surprise, but as Mikleo began to massage it over his skin, the pain was replaced by a pleasantly cool sensation. “Tell me if it hurts too much, alright?” Mikleo said.

“I think this is the best I’ve felt since… y’know.” Sorey tried to flex his fingers. They were sore, but the sharp pain was gone. That was an improvement. Mikleo shook his head, working his way up Sorey’s arm. It wasn’t long before he finished.

“Did Shion already check your chest and back injuries?” Mikleo asked.

“Yeah, they’re healing just fine. You don’t need to put the gel anywhere else?”

“No. The worst of your burns was on your arm and we don’t want to waste too much of his gel.” Mikleo quieted to a whisper. “And with Marlind overcome by hellions, we lost our main source of herbs.”

“It’s a good idea to save it, then.” Sorey pulled his sleeve back over his arm. “All done?”

“I’m all done. I’ll send Fethmus Mioma to check your wounds later today.” Mikleo screwed back the lid onto the gel’s container and with a wave, he left, handing the container to Shion before vanishing behind shut doors. Sorey poked at the gel on his arm, which was sticking rather uncomfortably to his sleeve. Scratch that, the sensation was no longer pleasant anymore.

He barely had time to decide what to do with his sleeve and his arm when the door opened again and Mikleo was back inside the room. This time, he didn’t bother looking around the room; he went straight for Sorey.

“Your Highness! Did you forget something?” Shion asked. 

“No, not at all. Zenrus of Elysia has asked to see Sorey.” At the look on Shion’s face, Mikleo continued. “I will accompany him myself and see to it that he does not bother his injuries. Rest assured, if anything goes wrong, I am more than capable of handling it myself.”

“Are the knights allowing this?”

“I believe I can make an exception in the rules.” Mikleo said with a wink to Sorey.

“Of course, Your Highness. Don’t let me keep you.” Shion bowed and snuck a glance to Sorey. “Please, don’t push yourself, Sorey.”

“I won’t! I’ll be alright. Thanks— Er, thank you, Your Highness.”

“Sorey, are you able to stand on your own?”

Sorey set one foot down on the floor, then his other and slowly lifted himself off the bed. His right leg protested as he shifted his weight onto it and if it weren’t for Mikleo’s hand on his back, he would have fallen right back onto the bed.

“Are you alright?”

“I”m fine,” Sorey shook Mikleo’s hand off. “Just a little unsteady. Where’s Zenrus?”

“I shall lead you to him. Come along.” Mikleo said. Sorey fell into place beside Mikleo as together, they left the infirmary. Knights were standing straight by the door and they saluted to Mikleo as he walked past, while they stared at Sorey. 

“You convinced the guards?” Sorey asked. Mikleo didn’t look at him.

“Not quite. They were reluctant, but I highly doubt they wanted to argue with me.”

“I thought you didn’t allow exceptions?”

“Truthfully, I want to talk to you about what you saw in Elysia. We need all the information we can get to determine the identity of the attacker. Do you remember what — no, never mind.” Mikleo added hastily. “That was a stupid question. My apologies.”

For once, Sorey had to agree with Mikleo. He hadn’t had anymore dreams about a fire (that which he didn’t tell anybody about) and while he tried his best to forget about what happened, the flickering red flames followed him whenever he closed his eyes at night. Constantly, constantly, his mind was revisiting the scenes, of both Elysia and the nightmare. He didn’t even get to see his house. Though, that may have been for the better.

“It’s here.” Mikleo stopped in front of a large oak door that Sorey had never seen before. The knights in front saluted.

“Your Highness. What brings you here?”

“I’ve come with Zenrus’ grandson,” Mikleo motioned towards Sorey, who offered a meek wave. “—who Zenrus requested to see.”

The guards bowed, Mikleo’s explanation deemed good enough. They pushed open the doors and Mikleo strolled in while Sorey stumbled behind, craning his neck for any sign of Zenrus. The door, however, didn’t lead into another infirmary. It led to the end of the castle’s gardens. Sorey looked to the building they came from. It was part of the knight’s quarter. They walked towards the center of the garden, where the fountain was.

“It wasn’t all that hard to convince the guards to allow Zenrus to come outside once I told them who he was. He’s quite the figure in the castle.”

“There’s so much I didn’t know about him. I guess I was pretty sheltered, huh?”

“Then that makes two of us.” Mikleo sighed.

“What do you mean?

“I don’t know a lot about my mother, either. I don’t even know who my father is.”

“Can seraphim have children?” Sorey asked. This was the first he’d ever heard of Mikleo speaking about his family.

“I’m not quite sure about that. My mother mentioned that my father died right before she was crowned queen of Ladylake after her brother, Michael, also passed away. I was born somewhere around that time.”

“King Michael, right? I’ve heard of him before.”

“You’re quite well-versed in history and the rulers of the past.” Mikleo remarked. “But you seem to be lacking in knowledge of the present.”

“Ahaha, well…” Sorey lifted his hand to the back of his neck. “You got me there.”

“Forgive me if this is too personal, but… do you know who your parents are?”

“They died when I was just a baby.” He never even met them, or knew their names. As far as he knew, Gramps was all he had as family and while he would have liked to meet his biological parents, he was more than happy to have met Gramps. “That was when Gramps found me and brought me to Elysia.”

Unwillingly, Sorey’s eyes scanned over the sky, the mountains where Elysia was. Where Elysia once was? The smoke he’d seen those days ago was long gone and with it, Elysia. He focused back on the cobblestone walkway.

“I see. I’m sorry about that.” They walked in silence after that.

* * *

 

Sometimes, Mikleo wished Sorey wasn’t as nice as he was. He  _ really  _ deserved to be slapped. “Do you remember anything?” he had said, when he himself couldn’t forget about what he saw. Mikleo snuck a glance at Sorey, who was favouring his left leg over his right. His mind kept replaying that day over and over and over again.

_ “Mikleo. When we get there, you are not to leave my side or Uno’s.” Muse commanded. “Stick closely to either of us.” _

_ “Wouldn’t it be better if we split up? I’m quite confident in my water artes. If we take out the fire at different spots, then—” _

_ “No. No exceptions.” Muse’s tone sent shivers up Mikleo’s spine. “It’s too dangerous for that. I want you and Uno to focus on putting out the fires. I shall focus on healing what injuries I can. Understand?” _

_ “I understand.” Mikleo said and he kept his word, even when he heard the pained groans of a villager being carried by soldiers, even when he saw a house collapse under the flames, even when he saw an all-too familiar mess of brown and blue being carried out of a collapsed house. _

_ It was only Muse’s presence and the fear of her finding out about Mikleo’s relationship with Sorey that kept his mouth shut despite the overwhelming urge to scream. _

True, he hadn’t lived in Elysia, but he’d visited it enough times to feel like it was a second home to him. They’d sent soldiers searching through the woods, but there was no sign of the arsonist, no way to tell if it was a hellion or a seraph that did it. According to Lailah, there was no seraphim around that she knew of with enough power to burn a village. But, why Elysia?

_ At the castle, before they left for Elysia, Lailah was assisting the knights there and seemed shocked that Muse was letting Mikleo go with her to Elysia. Mikleo couldn’t blame Lailah — he’d expected more of a fight with Muse, but he supposed that the safety of Elysia was more important. _

_ “Are you sure?” Lailah had asked. _

_ Muse’s eyes were hardened with determination. “I won’t let history repeat itself.” She replied and Mikleo had no time to ponder about her statement. Even now, she couldn’t fathom what that had meant, and he was reluctant to ask for more information. _

Mikleo’s thoughts were broken when Sorey perked up and shouted, “Gramps!”

He looked up. Zenrus was sitting on the fountain’s edge, staring at where Elysia once was. At Sorey’s call, he turned, although his expression certainly didn’t mirror the glee on Sorey’s face.

“You  _ idiot! _ ”

Mikleo blanched. He’d never spoken to Zenrus before — it was Lailah who was in charge of healing him — but from the way the seraphim around the castle spoke of him, he didn’t expect…  _ this.  _ Zenrus was shorter than both him and Sorey but as he rounded in on Sorey, Sorey cowered under his gaze.

“What were you thinking? You ran into a burning house!”

“I didn’t have a choice! It was Ian and Morgan’s place! Ian was stuck inside her house and I had to go help her!” 

“Without waiting for somebody to help you? You could have died in there!”

“I didn’t know if there was any time to spare!”

“I don’t recall raising a fool,” Zenrus shook his head. “But, I suppose I can’t give you a lecture for wanting to help people.”

Sorey brightened up like a child at a candy shop. “No lecture? I guess you’re really happy to see me.”

“Don’t make me change my mind, Sorey.” Zenrus threatened, but Sorey just laughed. He then looked to Mikleo, as if realizing his presence only now. “..Oh? I didn’t realize that the prince of Ladylake was here.”

“Uh—” Zenrus’ quick change in tone had Mikleo’s head spinning. Mikleo bowed. “It’s — It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Zenrus.”

“It is a pleasure to finally be able to talk to you. The last time I met you, you were but only a babe in your mother’s arms. You’ve certainly grown up.”

Mikleo ignored Sorey’s snickers. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

“As do I, but alas, we cannot change the past.”

“Unfortunately, no. I shall... leave you two to talk.”

“Leaving so soon? Why don’t you introduce yourself to Sorey here?"

Sorey and Mikleo shared an uncomfortable look. ‘ _ Should we tell him? _ ’ their silence asked. Zenrus was Sorey's grandfather, who raised him since he was a child. That meant he could be trusted, yes? If his mother and Lailah and the other seraphim at the castle trusted Zenrus, then there was no need to believe telling him would be detrimental. Of course, his close relationship could also mean that he wouldn't mind telling Muse about them. Mikleo took a deep breath, and nodded to Sorey. He returned with a nod of his own.

“Y’see, Gramps… Mikleo and I… we kinda already know each other.” Sorey said. Zenrus merely raised an eyebrow, so Sorey continued on. “We met in Ladylake a while back when exploring some ruins. Since then, we’ve been meeting in secret, since…”

“I thought that our relationship may have been scorned upon and I wasn’t sure of how my mother would react to my conversing with a human.” Mikleo bowed once more and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t awaiting a similar chiding from Zenrus. Zenrus, however, just sighed.

“Is that so. It would appear that she was correct, after all. However, Mikleo, I cannot believe that you would do something so reckless. Do you have any idea what damage may have been caused by your dilly-dallying around some ruins? If I recall correctly, the Galahad Ruins are off-limits now, aren’t they? Sorey, did you get caught?” Zenrus said. Sorey meekly nodded. “You  _ idiot!  _ Is that why you owed so much gald to Rose before? She was with you?"

“You knew about that?!”

“Foolish boy!”

“Ah, Sir Zenrus?” Mikleo interrupted. “I want to point out and say that while Sorey did venture into those ruins, I had gone there as well. He saved me when I unknowingly walked into a trap. If he had not been there, I’m not sure what would have happened to me.”

Another sigh. “Mikleo, did Muse not teach you any better?”

“I - I suppose not.”

“It’s no wonder the both of you became friends. I am going to assume that you have an interest in ruins as well, Mikleo?”

“Indeed I do!” Mikleo allowed himself a small smile.

“Just what Sorey needs. I suppose it was too much to hope that you would teach Sorey some manners as well.” Zenrus, despite his exasperated tone, was smiling, too.

“You betcha’. I learned a lot of new stuff from Mikleo, here.” Sorey said. Mikleo could see that familiar excitement taking over Sorey, the one he only saw when Sorey was poring over their history notes and the Celestial Record.

“Just as long as you don’t go overboard with it. Mikleo, you have not told your mother about this?”

“I… no, I have not. I didn’t think she would be happy with it.” Mikleo admitted. “I plan to tell her sometime, I’m just… waiting for the right moment.”

Zenrus fixed Mikleo with a knowing stare. “Perhaps it may be wiser to tell her sooner rather than later. But, I will leave the decision up to you. For now, I will keep your relationship a secret.”

“Thank you, Sir Zenrus.”

“Thanks, Gramps.” Sorey said, relieved. “So, Zenrus, how are you? I’ve heard from Mikleo that you weren’t all that injured, but…”

“I’ve had my better days, yes, but I’m certainly in a better shape than you.” Zenrus replied.

“I’m glad to hear that. I was so worried when Mason told me that you were out somewhere in the woods. Hey — where were you anyway?”

“Ed told me that he thought he’d seen some suspicious activity down in the woods that looked to be from hellions. I went to go investigate it and that’s when I saw the smoke. If only I was a couple years younger, I could have made it back earlier.” Zenrus grumbled. "I have no reason to suspect Ed had a role in this. He's innocent."

“I’m sure that you did the best that you could. But…” Sorey said. “Who do you think attacked Elysia? We’re sure—” Sorey pointed to Mikleo, and back at himself. “—that it was a person who did it.”

“A human, seraph or hellion. Perhaps it was more than one person, even.” Mikleo raised a hand to his chin.

“Have you spoken with Muse about this?”

“I have. We’ve discussed this quite a bit and according to some people at Elysia, they heard some strange voice and laughter before the fires started. Sir Zenrus, did you hear anything of the sort in the woods?” There was no need to ask Sorey, and he seemed to have come across that realization himself. Sorey stared down at his feet.

“I’m afraid not.” Zenrus said.

“I see. We stand to believe that the attack was not on any person in particular, too.”

“I highly doubt it. I am the head of Elysia after all, the most likely person to be attacked, and I was quite defenseless in the woods."

“Then why else would somebody have attacked Elysia?” Sorey asked. "We didn't do anything wrong..!"

“...Mikleo, has Muse ever told you of a similar event to this one?”

“What..? Something like this has happened before?” Mikleo’s mind travelled back to that moment, in the castle.  _ I won’t let history repeat itself.  _ What did his mother know that he didn’t? Why wasn’t she telling him? What did  _Zenrus_ know?

“I see. So she hasn’t.” Zenrus stroked his chin.

“What do you mean? Gramps, do you know anything about this?”

“I will tell you when the time is ripe. Mikleo, perhaps your mother is under the same impression as I am. Now, Sorey, you should get some rest.” Zenrus stood from the fountain’s edge and clapped a hand to Sorey’s arm.

“Gramps, I’m fine.” Sorey gently shook Zenrus’ hand off. “What happened before?”

“Sorey. Now is not the time discuss this.” And Zenrus’ tone had such a sense of finality to it that Sorey fell silent. “You must trust me on this. Mikleo, will you escort us back to our rooms?”

“Ah — right.” That was certainly one way to change the subject. “Come, then, follow me.”

Mikleo didn’t dare help Sorey pester Zenrus on this subject, whatever it was. By the grave expression Zenrus wore, he knew he wouldn’t get any information on this. But, his mother had quite a fair bit of explaining to do. Mikleo always prided himself on being knowledgeable about history, about filling in the gaps in the past and this was no different.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending seems a bit rushed. I meant to get this out a bit earlier, but alas, my body had other ideas and decided to make me sick. Ah, well~
> 
> Thank you for reading ★


	10. ...If Two of Them are Dead(?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheers, I finally stopped being sick! I couldn't write at all this past week because of my sickness but hey, a four day weekend gave me more than enough time to catch up on schoolwork and get some writing down. Lucky me~

The Sparrowfeathers were fearless, if one thing. Hellions be damned, their travels and merchantry would continue no matter what, with only few changes to their routine. For one, Rose, Dezel or Eguille were to be sitting at the front of the carriage at all times. They were the most experienced fighters of the Sparrowfeathers and as such, they needed to be ready at any moment for any attack.

Since the attack by Ladylake, the one with Sorey, the Sparrowfeathers hadn’t any major issues with hellions, but it never hurt to be cautious. Thankfully, the roads were clear of hellions on a bright morning. Their schedule was relatively simple — look for business in Pendrago.

Rose was sitting inside the carriage, alongside the twins, sharpening her knives. A useless task, really, her knives were already sharp enough to cut through the thickest of hides. From somewhere beside her, Felice snored. Rose set her whetstone down with a sigh. Any more, and she’d end up wearing her knives out. Better to put them away earlier before she cut herself with it, Rose thought with a shudder. Yeah, that was the last time she tried sharpening her knives on a dirt road. Nearly cut off her finger when the carriage hit a bump in the road.

Thankfully, it was after she sheathed her blades did the carriage jolt to a stop, sending Rose tumbling towards the front. “Hey, what gives?” Rose groaned. She banged on the front window of the carriage. “Something wrong? Hellions? Where are they?”

“Rose, come out the back.” Came Eguille’s voice, deceptively calm. “Look at this.”

She didn’t need any more encouragement. Rose leaped out of the back, her knives held at the ready as she charged towards the front of the carriage. Eguille and Dezel were standing by the horses, staring straight ahead. Rose followed their gaze — to a knight, stumbling towards the cart.

Her clothes and armor were stained with blood and her hair was matted, clumped. “That’s Ladylake’s symbol on her chest.” Eguille pointed out. Sure enough, under all that mess, Ladylake’s crest was still visible. She didn’t look like any ordinary knight. “She needs our help, come on. Dezel, watch our backs.”

“Got it.” Dezel pulled out his pendants, head turned towards the border of trees that lined the path. Rose tucked her knives away. Who knew what the knight was thinking, but the last thing Rose needed was the knight to assume they were a threat. Rose and Eguille approached the knight and her injuries only became more prominent as they came closer. They were from something nasty, that’s for sure. The blood was dried and cracking and her wounds appeared to be untreated. Assuming she was wandering around the forest this entire time, that meant that infection wasn’t too far out of the question.

The knight didn’t appear to fear Rose, so she walked right in front of her, trying her best to hold her gaze. The knight’s eyes were glassy and unfocused. “Hey, you alright?” Rose murmured. “What happened?”

“Marlind… there are hellions at Marlind…” The knight’s voice cracked with disuse.

Rose shared a look with Eguille. Oh- _ kay _ , she was a little late on that one, Marlind was taken over about a week ago. Disoriented? Check. “Gotcha. What’s your name?”

“Ali… sha… Diphda…”

She collapsed on the ground.

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you, Sorey! I thought you’d be on my side for this!”

Morgan slammed her hand down on the table. Sorey only grinned, completely shamelessly. “Sorry, Morgan. I can’t betray mabo curry buns. They’re too good!”

“Y’see?” Ian’s smile was far too triumphant for winning an argument about food. “Mabo curry buns are the best curry buns.”

“There must be something wrong with your tastebuds.” Morgan scowled as she took another bite of her not-mabo curry bun. Really, now. Would it hurt to try one, even just once? Sorey couldn’t help but think that her unique…  _ hatred _ was misplaced. “I’d rather eat rotting fruit over that!”

“How can you say that about mabo curry buns?” Sorey placed his hand over his chest in an overly-theatrical fashion, trying and failing to suppress his laughter under a guise of shock.

“I can’t believe I’m related to you!” Ian reached out to swipe the last bun off the plate, but Morgan’s hands were far too quick for that. “Hey!”

“These are mine! You have your mabo curry buns.”

“Ah, I hope I’m not interrupting something?” 

Thankfully (for Morgan, at least), Ian and Sorey were stopped from defending their precious food by the appearance of a knight with a roll of bandages in arm. Confusion covered his features and that made Sorey laugh even harder.

“Sorry, no, you’re not.” Ian said. “Are you here to check my bandages?”

“I am.” The knight replied.

“I’ll take my leave, then.” Sorey got up from Ian’s bed, smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt. “I’ll see you guys later, then.”

“See you, Sorey.” Ian said, while Morgan just waved, cheeks bulging and too full to talk. And thanks again, y’know, for saving me and all that.”

“I’m really glad you’re doing better.” Sorey’s smile stretched from ear-to-ear. When he got back to his room in the castle — knight’s quarters? — everything was just as he had left it. Sorey flopped back onto his bed with a groan. At least his leg was healing well. Mikleo had encouraged him to take short walks, gradually building up to longer ones, to restore the strength they once had. He was even able to use his arm to do a bit of lifting. Thankfully, the guards were slightly letting up on their strict protocols for the Elysians. Slightly. 

Sorey opened the drawer to his nightstand, intent on writing down a note to ask Mikleo later if he could grab some mabo curry buns, only to find something else. Something much better than a mabo curry bun.

Sorey checked around. Nobody was paying much attention to him, they were all engrossed in their own things. Sorey pulled out the Celestial Record, nearly frozen in shock. His fingers ran over the inscription on the cover and then, flipping through the pages, scarcely believing that his Celestial Record, it was here, it existed, it didn’t burn because Mikleo had it…!

The Celestial Record had completely slipped his mind, but it seemed like the fire didn’t take everything from Sorey. He flipped to the final page, where a note fell from between the pages. It was from Mikleo.

_ Sorey, _

_ I dropped this off while you were sleeping. I noticed that you were growing bored in the infirmary, so I hope this surprise will brighten your day. Rest assured, I will be fine without it. I am much too busy to spend any time reading it. Don’t worry about reading on ahead without me. It’s your book, after all. If you need a refresher on the ancient tongue, you can simply ask me later. However, I hardly think that’s necessary, I hope. _

Sorey could almost see the smirk in his words.

_ I have also left a few of my books on ancient history in your nightstand. I know I don’t need to ask you to take care of them; I know you will keep them safe. On the other hand, I will not give you my notes. That will take the fun out of any debates we may have in the future.  _

_ On a more serious note, we haven’t been able to find out any more information. There’s some slight things I want to mention, but I can’t risk writing them down. And Sorey? DON’T SHOW ANYBODY THE CELESTIAL RECORD. It’s banned in the castle, remember? You are going to be in deep trouble if you get caught with it and no, I will not cover for your foolishness. KEEP IT HIDDEN. _

_ With regards, Mikleo. _

Sorey surveyed the room once more. Nobody watched him pull out the Celestial Record. Well, there were no soldiers in the room. There wouldn’t be for a while — in another hour, Shion would drop by to check the injures of the people inside. That was an hour to read the Celestial Record. Surely Mikleo would understand.

Sorey fluffed his pillows and opened to the last bookmarked page, all too content with his morning. It felt like an eternity since he had a moment of peace like this...

* * *

 

One: Mayvin left the morning after he stayed in the Empyrean’s throne and he didn’t see the seraph before he left.

Two: There was another interesting account of a meeting with a seraph. Well, it wasn’t technically a meeting. The person just saw a seraph in the street, invisible to all passerbys, and tried to call out to them. The seraph ended up fleeing and the person never managed to talk to them.

Three: In short, seraphim feared contact with humans and there were more mentions of malevolence being the most likely cause. Malevolence was something terrible to seraphim, that much was assured.

Four: Sorey needed to ask Mikleo more about malevolence.

An hour of reading summed up in four points. Three, to be exact. The fourth was just an afterthought. Sorey had gone over the story of Mayvin’s first encounter with a seraph and he had to wonder who the seraph was. Or who Mayvin was. How could he see seraphim? How could humans see seraphim in general? There were mentions of ‘resonance’ within the Celestial Record, too. Perhaps a fifth mental note had to be added: ask Mikleo about resonance.

Sorey had just shut the drawer to his nightstand, the Celestial Record under piles of history books, for it was about time for Shion to arrive. However, there was no sign of her anywhere. Sorey patiently waited on his bed as he reviewed what he read over and over again but still, nothing from Shion.

A minute passed. Another followed, and another, and another, until Sorey’s curiosity got the better of him and he got up and left the room. His feet took him towards Ian and Morgan’s place, perhaps he could ask them if they’d seen Shion anywhere. If they hadn’t, well, at least he had some people to kill time with until Shion arrived. Even if she visit while he was gone, his injuries were healing and didn't need much interference.

The faint sound sound of raised voices was the second sign that something was off. Even more curious was that one of them was…  _ Mikleo’s?  _ Yes, it was quieter than the other’s (Sorey had never heard Mikleo raise his voice before), but it was plenty discernable.

“We are doing the best that we can.”

Sorey rounded a corner and almost immediately dove back behind it, only risking the slightest peek. He could see Lawrence and Medea and another person he didn’t recognize, along with Shion and Mikleo standing just out of earshot of Ian and Morgan’s room. If they were any louder, though, their voices could easily carry into the room.

“That’s easy for you to say. We lost our homes, our belongings, everything! We’re losing even your hospitality.”

“Miss,” Mikleo was struggling to keep his tone even. “You must understand that it is a strain on our knights to keep all Elysians here. It is not our intention to displace and kick out Elysians from our care. Those that are healthy are being offered free places at inns around Ladylake.”

“We don’t want free places at inns; we want you to find out who did this to us!” Lawrence towered over Mikleo and Shion was quick to step between them.

“We are currently investigating—”

“It’s been over a week and you’ve found nothing. Can’t even tell if a seraph or hellion or human did it!”

“As I have said before, we are looking into it. Progress may be slow, but that is because our forces are under much stress due to our losses at Marlind.”

“But you’ve still got plenty of knights guarding the castle.” Medea mumbled, making no effort in keeping her voice low. Sorey bit his lip. She had a point, but did she have to say it like that? Besides, Mikleo had said that the knights were guarding the infirmary just in case the person who attacked Elysia was targeting one person. It was to protect them.

Whatever that person said, Sorey missed, having been too deep in his thoughts. Either way, it must have been something terrible, as Shion’s face went dark as she snarled, “Do you dare speak to His Highness like that?”

“Shion, please, stand down.” Mikleo said, but his words were ignored. He looked exhausted, tired, not like the same boy Sorey had seen exploring ruins and climbing walls. 

“I’ll speak to him as however I like!”

“He deserves more respect than that!”

“I’m sure you’re content sitting pretty in the castle. Do you know what it’s like to watch all your hard work burn before your eyes? I lost  _ everything. _ ” The third person said. Mikleo clenched his fists, but he made no effort to refute the third person.

Sorey had enough. He threw himself into full view, putting no effort into staying quiet. “Hey, what’s going on?” He asked, but he knew all-too well what was going on. Thankfully, his sudden appearance stopped their argument, but for how long?

“Sorey?” Shion said and Mikleo mouthed.

“Sorey, these guys are—”

“Lawrence, please, I know you’re angry but shouting at each other isn’t going to solve anything.” Sorey said.

“You lost everything in the fire, too, Sorey!” Medea spoke up. Sorey cringed, but he stood strong. “How can you just sit by and watch them do nothing?” 

“They’re not doing nothing! I know because, well,” Oh boy. Here came the lies. If it was any comfort, Sorey was getting better at them thanks to Mikleo, but he was still torn on whether or not that was something to be proud of. “Gramps is working closely with them. I trust him and I know he’s trying his best to find out who did this.”

“Sorey, you were always the trusting type.” Lawrence said, but the spite was quickly vanishing, replaced by exhaustion.

“I guess, but arguing isn’t going to do anything.” Sorey’s sentenced ended on a higher pitch than it started, as if a question, as opposed to a statement. Thankfully, the Elysians didn’t take it as such.

“Sorey is completely right.” Shion bowed to the Elysians and then to Mikleo. “Forgive me, Your Highness, for acting out of order.”

“Of course. Shion, if you would continue with your rounds?” Mikleo said. “I believe our little situation has resolved itself.”

“As you wish.” Shion didn’t spare the Elysians a further glance as she left. Sorey couldn’t blame her, but maybe he could explain the situation to her later. For now, he still had three angry people to deal with.

“Now, I hope you will excuse me, as well. I have work to attend to but rest assured, my focus is directed at investigating who started the fires behind Elysia.” Mikleo didn’t bow as Shion had, but his words were humbling enough to substitute for one. Sorey was pleased to see that the Elysians weren’t intent on fighting anymore.

“Good luck with that.” Medea said, without the goodwill one would expect coming from the phrase, but it was a start.

“Sorey? If you would come with me. I have a few questions for you.” Mikleo motioned to Sorey to follow him as he took down the corridor Shion went through without waiting for a response. Sorey was left running after Mikleo like a dog. Looking behind himself, he saw the Elysians vanish around a corner.

“They’re good people.” Sorey said, once they were away from any potential eavesdroppers. “I can vouch for them. They’re just acting out of character because they’re stressed out from everything.”

“I believe you.” Mikleo said. “I hold nothing against them but even so, they were completely right.”

_ Huh? _ “They were?”

“We haven’t made much progress at all. Where do we start investigating? We’re leaning towards hellion. A person couldn’t have made that much fire and we know of no seraphim with enough ability to cause that much destruction nearby. However, we have no proof of what hellion did it and why and…” Mikleo hung his head and the paleness of his skin only grew more prominent with each step. This really was exhausting him. “We have a lot to investigate.”

“I’m sure you’ll catch whoever did it soon.” Sorey said, though it was more to comfort himself than Mikleo, he had to admit. He didn’t want to — couldn’t bear the thought of whoever set Elysia on fire getting away with it.

They were outside Sorey’s infirmary in a flash and their goodbyes went just as quickly, Mikleo insisting that he couldn’t stop and chat when so much work awaited him. When Sorey opened the door, Shion was already over halfway finished with her daily check-up of the patients. Everybody was healing well, but even that fact couldn’t take away the building despair in Sorey’s heart.

“They’re good people,” Sorey repeated to Shion, when she came over to check on his arm. “I’m sorry you had to see them like that. Trust me, they’re really nice, they’re just under a lot of stress.”

Unlike Mikleo, Shion was a lot less forgiving. “That is no excuse for their behaviour towards the prince. His Highness has been working to the bone and they disrespect him and act as though he has no duties of his own?”

“They didn’t mean any of it.” Sorey said, but it fell on deaf ears.

“They aren’t the only ones to have been saying this, you know. There have been others and it’s taking a toll on His Highness, though he doesn’t like to admit it.”

_ “What?”  _ Sorey was too much in shock to say much more. Shion regarded him with a confused look.

“Haven’t you heard? People, even out on the streets, have been attacking His Highness and hounding him for more information about the attacks. I can’t remember the last time he got treated with any sort of respect from  _ anybody.  _ I’m happy to say that Her Majesty is getting the respect somebody of her status deserves, but His Highness…”

“This… This is the first time I’ve heard about something like this.” It really was. Why… for how long… Sorey had so many questions, but most importantly:  _ Why? Why  _ hadn’t Mikleo told him about any of this? Sorey could have spoken to some Elysians, he could have offered support, he could have done  _ something _ instead of laying in bed blissfully ignorant.

“I wouldn’t expect you to be familiar with this. You’re not the one following His Highness around, after all. That reminds me, actually.” Shion took Sorey’s hand in her own. “Thank you for supporting His Highness and myself earlier.”

“I was only doing what I felt was right.”

“You’re a good person, Sorey.” Shion’s smile was tight-lipped. “I’ll see you around.”

Sorey didn’t bother saying goodbye, his mind still locked on what Shion told him. Mikleo had been dealing with people like that all this time, and he hadn’t brought it up? Did he not trust Sorey? Even the mere thought sent pain through his chest. His eyes fell onto the nightstand, where Mikleo gave him the Celestial Record, his ancient history books, his note.

He trusted Sorey with his books. He trusted Sorey. ...Right? But if that was the case, why didn’t he say anything..?

What else was he hiding from Sorey?

* * *

 

They hadn’t spoken in a day or so, a perfect excuse for Sorey to find Mikleo. If he ever did. The castle was much larger than he remembered, and more than once, he had to duck behind a suit of armor on display or take an alternate route to avoid a stray knight patrolling the corridors. Even if Sorey was caught, however, he had a reliable alibi.

“I got lost!”

Sorey sighed. Lying never made him feel better, even if it was for a “good” cause. Discussing the Celestial Record with Mikleo was a good cause, wasn’t it? He held his breath, straining for the sound of footsteps. Nothing. The coast was clear. The third floor was eerily quiet. No soldiers, no nobody.

It really was only for the seraphim. Lucky them. Sorey walked up to the door he was sure was Mikleo’s room and knocked sharply, three times. No response. He tried again and nothing happened. Alright, so Mikleo wasn’t in his room. Closed doors lined the entire hallway, Mikleo could be behind any of them. So could a seraphim that wouldn’t be too happy seeing a human wandering their floor.

It was a risk Sorey was willing to take. Okay, maybe not for the Celestial Record, but for answers to whatever Mikleo had been hiding. He needed to hear what Mikleo had been experiencing firsthand and that desire pulled Sorey down the corridor as he pressed his ear against the doors for any recognizable sound. Occasionally, he heard somebody scuffling about, but that alone wasn’t a clear sign that Mikleo was behind the door.

Sorey was just beginning to give up when he pressed his ear against what may as well have been the hundreth door, only to hear a familiar voice and a familiar name.

“Oh, Mikleo. I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Fethmus Mioma was saying.

Sorey had to completely press the side of his head against the door to catch Mikleo’s response. “Lailah, I’m fine.” Lailah? So that was Fethmus Mioma’s human name? ...Oh, that was not something Sorey should have overheard. Oh dear. 

“When was the last time you slept?”

“Seraphim do not need to sleep!”

“But seraphim do need rest.” Fethmus Mioma sounded quite like a mother. “Allow me to rephrase my question. When was the last time you got some rest?”

“Once I finish my report on the latest discussion with Pendrago, I will get some rest.”

“Mikleo, you shouldn’t sleep on taking care of yourself.” She sing-songed.

Sorey could hear the groan clearly. “Lailah, please. I’m taking good care of myself.”

Fethmus Mioma — or was it just Lailah now? — dropped the teasing tone completely. “Despite your best efforts, I can see the toll the malevolence is taking on your body.”

_ Malevolence!  _ This wasn’t how he imagined getting an explanation but perhaps he’d be able to learn something more than if Mikleo just explained it to him. By eavesdropping, he didn’t need to worry about Mikleo hiding anything more. Sorey didn’t worry about Mikleo hiding stuff from him before without his knowledge, but if what Shion said was true, then… 

“I’m left without a choice. I can’t just abandon the Elysians.” Mikleo said indignantly.  _ What?  _ The Elysians had malevolence? Was it because they were unhappy with the lack of information? No way…

Malevolence was dangerous to seraphim. But… if the Elysians had malevolence, then why didn’t Mikleo say anything before? Or did they only recently acquired malevolence? How did a human get malevolence? This discussion was giving Sorey more questions than answering them.

“Their burns are healing well. I’m sure you do not need to use your seraphic artes anymore. The malevolence is affecting you more strongly because you are a young seraph who hasn’t had much experience with it.”

“But—”

“I have it handled, Mikleo. You don’t need to worry about the Elysians. It’s best if you stay away from humans just for now, until this issue has been dealt with.”

“If I don’t get used to the malevolence now, then how will I ever?”

“By overworking yourself, you are only making yourself more vulnerable to malevolence. Mikleo… you know what happens when a seraph is exposed to more malevolence than they can deal with.”

Mikleo didn’t respond and Sorey was almost grateful for that. Whatever happened to a seraph surrounded by malevolence, he didn’t want to know. Death was the obvious answer, but Sorey had a sneaking suspicion that it was something worse. Something much worse.

“What about the knights working closely with the humans?”

“As they are human, they are not as sensitive to malevolence. You know this, Mikleo.” Fethmus Mioma sounded like she was scolding a toddler. “You must distance yourself. It’s better for the humans as well. Morgrim told me what happened earlier today.”

“...What did she tell you?”

“The argument you and Shion had with the Elysians down in the hallway. All those humans had a fair bit of malevolence with them.”

That was to be expected. They weren’t happy but… wait,  _ all  _ humans? Sorey went completely silent, not even daring to breathe as he listened.

“They didn’t — I’m sure they were only acting irrational out of anger.”

“And they unfairly used you as an outlet for their anger. This sort of thing is what breeds malevolence. I’m sure those four humans meant no harm, but malevolence always does.”

_ Four _ humans? Lawrence, Medea, that one Sorey couldn’t recognize and…  _ himself? He _ had malevolence? Sorey checked over his body, but it looked nothing different than it usually did. He didn’t feel any different, either. When did he start…?

Mikleo’s breath hitched. “All four of those humans were emitting malevolence?”

“That is what Morgrim told me, yes. She told me this because she was worried about you. She told me that you looked ready to collapse at any moment.”

Sorey stood up, so quickly that his vision blurred and he stumbled to the wall opposite the door Mikleo and Fethmus Mioma were behind, leaning against it for support. His stomach was doing somersaults, nausea threatening to overcome his body. He couldn’t bear hearing any more of the conversation.  _ He  _ was malevolent. How..? Just what  _ was  _ malevolence? No, no, perhaps that Morgrim was confusing him with the other three. Maybe she thought that Sorey was emitting malevolence because those three were emitting so much?

Or was he just making excuses? Why didn’t Mikleo notice anything? A sickening feeling rose in Sorey’s throat. Was this why Mikleo didn’t want to speak with Sorey? He returned the Celestial Record, Sorey’s only belonging. Was it because he didn’t want anything of Sorey’s? That way, he’d lose any ties he had to Sorey. No, not Mikleo. He sounded devastated when Fethmus Mioma said he couldn’t go near the humans. Right?

The doorknob shook and Sorey ran. He ran, to avoid getting caught, to avoid having to face Mikleo, to avoid tainting Mikleo with his malevolence.  _ I have malevolence. I have malevolence.  _ Over and over, like a chant, it ran through Sorey’s head until it felt ready to burst. He trusted Mikleo. Mikleo was straight-forward and he wouldn’t just abandon Sorey. He trusted Sorey, he said so himself in the note he left behind. Mikleo wouldn’t — he treasured their friendship more than that.

But what if spending time with Sorey was hurting Mikleo more than he realized? He was always one to put on a strong-front. What if Sorey’s malevolence was hurting Mikleo whenever they spent time together and he never said anything?

_ You know what happens when a seraph is exposed to more malevolence than they can deal with.  _

He couldn’t risk that. He had to protect Mikleo. If spending time around Sorey was bad for him, then, well…

* * *

 

Rapid knocks on the door jolted Mikleo out of his daydream, sending ink from his quill flying over his desk. Ugly black stains that appeared on his report were left unattended as Mikleo opened the door to a knight he didn’t recognize, hand still raised mid-knock.

“Yes?”

“Your Highness, sir, Her Majesty requests your presence on the second floor. We have located some members of Lady Maltran’s squad!”

Mikleo was out of his room in an instant, the knight hurrying along on his trail.

“They were brought in by a travelling merchant’s guild. There were two. One of them is in bad condition, but Fethmus Mioma is looking over her. Her Majesty is speaking with the other. This way, sir!” The knight pointed him in the direction of the room they often used for discussions and meetings. The knight stood before the door, waiting. Mikleo rapped on the door to announce his presence, then opened the door to see Muse sitting at the table along with that girl from the merchant’s guild, Sorey’s friend… what was her name, what was her name… Rose! 

She was sitting next to who he assumed to be members of her guild (the one in the hat he could recognize, but no name came to mind) and across from them…  _ Enid.  _ Of Maltran’s squad, along with her sister, Rodine. But, she was alone.  _ Oh, no… _

“I apologize for interrupting.” Mikleo said by way of greeting. He looked straight to Enid. “I heard the news and I am sincerely grateful to hear that you are safe.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. It is my pleasure to be back.” Enid smiled. Mikleo took a seat next to his mother, only after Enid insisted that no thank you, I don’t need healing, I’m fine, Your Highness, I appreciate your concern, but I need not your healing. Mikleo had relented after seeing that her words were true. Superficial scratches, a few wounds here and there. Nothing more than a day in the infirmary and some bed rest would cure.

He could only hope that the other knight would be just as fine. “Now that you are here,” Muse said to Mikleo. “I believe that we may begin. Would one of you care to explain what happened?”

It was Rose who spoke up first. “We were en route to Pendrago. Guild business, as per usual.”

“Then, Dezel and I,” A man with graying hair, the oldest of the group, pointed to Rose’s friend. Ah, yes. Dezel. That was his name. “Saw a person stumbling onto the road. We stopped the cart and went to go check it out.”

Mikleo looked to Enid, who shook her head. It wasn't her. “Did you see where the knight came from?”

“No.” The man said. “We suspect she came from within the forest, but we can’t know for sure.”

“We went to go check out who the person was and noticed that she was a knight.” Rose said. “We tried to ask her some questions, but she seemed really out of it. The only thing she said was that Marlind got taken over by some hellions and that her name was Alisha Dippa or something like that.”

“Alisha Diphda..!” Mikleo gasped. 

“Yeah, that was her name! After she told us that, she kinda… collapsed.”

“We decided to take her to Ladylake in our carriage. We tried our best to heal her wounds with what we had on us.” The man said.

“That was when they came across me.” Enid spoke up. “I was heading to Ladylake on foot and saw the carriage. I gestured for them to stop and they did, and that’s when I saw Alisha in the back. I didn’t need to ask them to take us to Ladylake since that was where they were heading already.”

The rest of Enid’s and the Sparrowfeathers’ story passed in a blur to Mikleo. The gist of it was that the Sparrowfeathers brought the two back to Ladylake. Lailah would be disappointed in his inability to pay attention, but there were bigger issues. After the Sparrowfeathers told their story, Muse thanked them, then dismissed them as she wasted no time in rounding in on Enid. Mikleo wished he could have found some way to tell Rose that Sorey was alright without attracting attention to himself but, there was no way.

“Enid. This may be troubling for you to bring up, but I want you to explain everything that happened in Marlind.” Muse said.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Enid took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, it all happened so quickly. It’s all a blur. One moment, everything was fine and the next, there was a group of hellions that attacked the town. I was patrolling the town’s borders at the time, so I was one of the first to engage the hellions in combat.”

“And the other’s? Where were they?”

“I was with my sister, Rodine, but I don’t know where everybody else was. The hellions kept coming and when they tried to retreat, my sister and I gave chase, intent on finishing the job. I had no idea that the situation was that serious. I thought that the other knights were dealing with their hellions and protecting Marlind just fine. But…” Enid’s voice began to falter. “I was knocked unconscious by… something. When I came to, Marlind was clouded in malevolence.”

Muse frowned. “Do you know how long you were out for?”

“No… I used what gels I had on me to heal myself and dragged myself away from Marlind. I didn’t see anybody from Marlind or from my squad, including my sister.” Enid looked at Muse with tears in her eyes. “Did you find her?”

“I’m sorry. You and Alisha are the only knights accounted for.”

“That’s what I thought.” Enid whispered. “If only I wasn’t so sloppy, I could have protected my sister.” A tear rolled down her cheek and she furiously wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.

“Mother,” Mikleo said. “Perhaps it would be best for Enid to get some rest and have her injuries checked over. I believe we can continue this another time.”

Enid nodded weakly. “Yes… yes, I would appreciate that.”

“You there.” Muse pointed to the knight standing guard at the door. “Please, escort Enid towards the east wing infirmary. Ensure she receives proper medical attention.”

“Understood.” The knight saluted and awkwardly waited as Enid, with tears pouring from her eyes, staggered over to the knight. With a tearful bow to Muse and Mikleo, she left the room, leaving only Mikleo and his mother. Muse sighed, massaging her temple.

“I understand that Enid is in a predicament, however I can’t help but feel as though her story is lacking.” Muse groaned. "Perhaps she'll have more to tell us later."

“I know what you mean.” Mikleo said. “I expected more than what we got. We’re no more closer to finding out how Marlind got taken over.”

“I suppose we’ll have to wait until Alisha wakes up.”

“I suppose.”

“This is truly a struggle. I want to deliver justice to the Elysians, but the people of Marlind are in need of much more help than I thought. Perhaps there are other survivors like Enid and Alisha.”

“Would it be in our best interest to organize a squad to go searching for survivors?”

“We cannot spare what little knights we have available. I’m overworking them.” Muse sighed. “I suppose I should stop putting this off any longer.”

Mikleo stared at Muse for an explanation. She continued. “You remember what I told you about Rayfalke Spiritcrest, correct?”

“Yes..?” Mikleo said slowly.

“I have been thinking about requesting help from the seraphim there. I can entrust the safety of Ladylake to the seraphim and with that, spare some knights to scour the area around Marlind for survivors, as I am not willing to let a seraph near a place that heavy with malevolence.”

“That sounds like a good idea. But, those seraphim there… they aren’t too fond of humans, if I can recall correctly.”

“Yes, you’re right, but if there is even the slightest chance that they will help us, I will take it.”

“We are left with no other choice.” Mikleo muttered. “Who will you take with you on the journey?”

“I’m not sure if I can spare time to make such a journey. It’s about three days to Rayfalke, and it’ll be another three days back.”

“Then, who are you planning to send?” Mikleo asked. Muse didn’t reply, only looked up to face Mikleo. “W-Wait, hold on a moment.  _ Me?  _ You are planning on sending…  _ me?” _

It made sense, after all. As the prince of Ladylake, he was influential and he could be spared for a week’s time. Those reports weren’t the most important thing, after all. To hear that Muse was trusting Mikleo with such a task…

“I’m sure you can understand why. We are in a crisis and though I’m not happy about sending you by yourself, I cannot afford to be selfish at a time like this.” Muse said. If there was one thing that had Muse alleviate the strict rules she had on Mikleo, it was a crisis. Like a fire.

_ I won’t let history repeat itself.  _

Muse’s previous words echoed in Mikleo’s head. Now was his chance to ask her about her cryptic words. But, as luck would have it, Muse’s hand was on Mikleo’s shoulder and she was saying, “I still need to talk this over with the others. I wanted to let you know of this first. Will you be alright with this duty?”

“Yes. I will do my best to get aid from the seraphim on Rayfalke Spiritcrest. But, Mother—” Mikleo took a deep breath. He was  _ not  _ going to let this opportunity pass. “I want to ask you something, first.”

“I’m listening.”

“Before we left for Elysia, you said to Lailah… you said, ‘I won’t let history repeat itself’.” Mikleo said. Muse stiffened. “I want you to explain to me what you meant. I spoke to Zenrus a couple days earlier and he mentioned something about a ‘similar event’ happening.”

“Did he tell you anything more?”

“...No. He said that the time was not ripe for him to tell.” Mikleo left Sorey out of the mix. He didn’t need to drag Sorey into his mess. Though, it would be a good time to tell her about Sorey… or maybe not. No, with all the malevolence the Elysians were emitting, it was best to stay quiet about Sorey. Besides, he was focused on something else right now. “I want you to tell me what’s going on. I want to  _ do  _ something. I don’t want to go to Rayfalke without knowing all the details of what we’re up against. If something like what happened at Elysia happened before, I believe that there is no better time than right now to explain.”

Muse was quiet for a minute, long enough to instill fear into Mikleo that she wasn’t going to say anything. Then, “...You are right, Mikleo. I shouldn’t be hiding this from you, but…” Muse sighed. She was avoiding having to answer and he knew it, she knew it. “I can’t explain this to you alone. Before you leave, myself, Lailah and Zenrus will explain to you what I mean. I’m not trying to stall, but it will be best if you heard the story from us three at the same time.”

“When will I be leaving?”

“At first, I wanted to give you a week’s notice, but if there are any other survivors at Marlind, I’m not sure if they’ll survive another week. A day or two, nothing more. We are having a meeting later today, yes? I will bring up the subject to the others today. I’m sure that nobody will disagree.”

“Two days at most.” Mikleo repeated. “I will prepare myself as necessary, then. Mother… Please don’t hide anything more from me. I can handle myself.”

Muse tried her best to smile. “I have been treating you as a child, haven’t I? I’m sorry for that. But, you’ll always be my baby boy.” Before Mikleo could protest, she engulfed him in a hug. “I love you, Mikleo. You know that, right?”

Mikleo wrapped his arms around his mother. “I love you too, Mother. I know that you only want what’s best for me.”

“I’m sorry for being so strict with you but after what happened… You’ll know all about it when we finally talk. I promise. It’s not right to keep it from you.”

Mikleo buried his face into his mother’s shirt. It smelled faintly of floral perfume. He shut his eyes, wishing that, even just for a moment, he could be a child again. Where he didn’t have to worry about malevolence and hellions and where his mother didn’t sound so tired all the time, where sparkles lit up her eyes. “Thank you, Mother.”

Two days. Two days and he’d finally know. It would be hell waiting until then, but he’d wait and finally, he would know what Muse was keeping a secret from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... really can't make puns. Or write emotional scenes. That is definitely not my specialty. But I'll work on it. (Maybe not the pun part...)
> 
> Thank you for reading~!


	11. His Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I updated, hm? Let's pretend it was for... for dramatic tension! Yeah, dramatic tension for the ~big reveal~.
> 
> Enjoy~

Though the town of Ladylake slept under the stars, the castle and outer walls were wide awake with knights warily keeping watch over the castle’s gates, patrolling the gardens and walls, their footsteps echoing well into the empty streets. Outside, hellions lingered but didn’t dare approach, eyes trained on the knights, watching, waiting for their opportunity to attack.

From her bedroom, Muse watched her kingdom. Those streets, those people she swore to protect, a duty entrusted by her brother, Michael. Her bedroom was dimly lit by a lamp on her desk and a cold breeze blew in through the open window, one Muse didn’t feel.

A soft tap at the door startled Muse. “Your Majesty?” Lailah’s quiet voice rang out.  _ Of course.  _ Of course it was Lailah. Only seraphim and trusted humans — Lady Maltran and a few members of her squad, for example, all of which were unable to visit — were allowed on the third floor and if it were a knight alerting her to any issue, they would do more than just tap at her door. Muse had begun to associate the sound of knocking with bad news.

“It’s open.” Muse said. A few seconds passed before her door slowly opened, Lailah carefully stepping into her bedroom. “Is something the matter?”

Lailah paused. “No, not really, but there is something I’d like to speak with you about.”

“I’m not busy. You can go ahead.” Muse tore her eyes away from Ladylake and sat down on her bed, facing Lailah, who had chosen the chair at her desk to sit in. Her soft bed sheets beckoned her to sleep, reminding Muse of her weary limbs. The lamp on the desk grew brighter, until Muse’s entire bedroom was bathed in light.

“That’s much better.” Lailah smiled. “Now, where do I start..? I’ll start with Mikleo.”

“I assume it’s about Rayfalke Spiritcrest.” 

“Not quite. I’ve heard that he asked about his past and that you were going to tell him about it. Are you sure he is ready to hear about it?”

Muse sighed. “As he said, we cannot keep sheltering him from the truth and avoiding it whenever it comes up in conversation. I can only imagine how frustrating it is.”

“Will you tell him everything?”

“As much as I can. He deserves to hear everything. ...Lailah, do you recall when I said, ‘I don’t intent to let history repeat itself’ to you?”

“Of course.”

“Mikleo overheard. I suspect it’s what pushed him to ask me about the truth.”

“He wanted to know more about Elysia and the village that came before it…” Lailah whispered. “But in order to tell him about that, you will have to tell him about his past.”

“It will not be easy for him to hear about it, but he is strong.”

Lailah stared into the flames of the lamp, which danced under her gaze. Elegant, refined, the lamp’s fire was nothing compared to that of Elysia’s; chaotic and out of control. Evidently, Elysia was on Lailah’s mind too, as she asked, “...Muse, what do you think is happening?”

“The fire at Elysia was no coincidence. The growing amount of hellions and malevolence, along with Marlind’s fall… I suspect history is repeating itself, as Zenrus said.”

The flames flickered and the room grew darker. “So it seems.”

“I don’t know who could be trying to repeat history, or why. I only have faint ideas.” Muse said. She hesitated, then, “...Sometimes I wonder what Michael would be doing, if he were in my place. It seems like everything is the opposite of what Michael envisioned the future to be.”

“This is a dark time, but times like these are always where humanity’s strength shines most.” Lailah assured.

“Indeed. The rulers of the past — including Michael — were able to overcome the trials that they faced for the sake of our future. We must — we  _ will  _ do the same.”

“If history truly is repeating, then at the very least, we have a good idea of what may happen next. Muse… stay on your guard at all times. If we are right, it can happen at any time.”

Outside, Ladylake continued its slumber.

* * *

 

The meeting that would discuss Mikleo’s expedition to Rayfalke Spiritcrest was postponed until the next day. It happened in the early morning, when the sun had barely peeked its head over the horizon. As it involved only the seraphim of the castle, nobody complained — seraphim had no need for sleep, after all. Even so, Mikleo found himself rubbing his aching eyes as he sat down at a table in the meeting room.

Muse was already waiting there when he got in and the other seraphim filed inside quickly afterwards.Other than the few, expected “Are you sure you’re up for it?” questions directed at Mikleo, the meeting about his “expedition” to Rayfalke (as the seraphim were calling it) went by quickly. All were surprisingly agreeable but then again, everybody was desperate for any help at all. If anything, the worst part about the meeting was getting up early for it. The sun had barely risen when Muse knocked at Mikleo’s bedroom door, calling for him.

However, there were still problems to sort out. How many escorts should Mikleo have and who was trusted enough to protect him? Uno offered to come with Mikleo, but Muse, despite her trust in him, promptly shut him down. The seraphim were needed at the castle.

Ordinarily, Mikleo would have asked for Alisha, but seeing as she was still sleeping her injuries off… “Excuse me? I’d like to suggest a knight.”

“Go on.” Muse said.

“Shion. She is in Lailah’s squad, if I recall correctly.” Mikleo pondered for a moment. “She is quite experienced as a nurse and should be sufficient enough for our journey. Four knights are needed, yes? I will take one from each squadron, then, including another from Lailah’s. Uno, Morgrim, Lailah, do you have any suggestions?”

“I don’t want to leave you without any seraphim. I understand that you can defend yourself, Mikleo,” Lailah said hastily. “But I’m sure it would comfort your mother to have another seraph with you.”

“How about a wind seraph?” Morgrim spoke up. “That way, they can protect each other’s weaknesses. I know of one under my command, Windur. Mikleo, are you familiar with him?”

“Admittedly, no. However, if he is somebody you can trust, then I shall trust him as well.” Mikleo said.

“I can offer Lucas. He’s experienced with travelling and knows the path to Rayfalke well.” Uno offered.

Lailah clapped her hands together. “Oh! I just remembered someone. I think he’ll be a great help in convincing the seraphim of Rayfalke to join us. Your Majesty, do you remember Atakk? Hephsin Yulind had a soft spot for beings like him, I believe.”

“Lailah.” Muse said in an ‘are you kidding me’ tone, the same tone she used on Mikleo when he was a child. “Is this what you are suggesting?”

“I am. The seraphim on Rayfalke aren’t too courteous with humans. Atakk is also not working at the castle, yes? He’s quite knowledgeable and we will not need to spare another knight.”

“If I recall correctly, Atakk can be of great use in battle. He’ll be able to support Mikleo and Windur’s artes well.” Uno said.

“This is my son your knights will be escorting.” Muse said. “I will not settle for anything less than the best of what we have.”

“Lailah, why did you offer Atakk?” Morgrim asked.

“Well… Atakk is also free of malevolence. That is both beneficial to Mikleo and the seraphim, no?”

Mikleo resisted the urge to protest. He wasn’t  _ that _ weak, but if this ‘Atakk’ was somebody who would help convince the seraphim to help Ladylake, then it was better to keep his mouth shut. Muse pondered that fact for a moment. “There are others like Atakk living on Rayfalke, as well. Lailah, do you know if he has kept contact with them?”

“Naturally.” Lailah said. “There are many like him across Glenwood. News spreads fast among them, no?”

“Er — just who  _ is  _ Atakk?” Mikleo asked.  _ ‘Or what?’  _ was left unsaid. Unfortunately for him, Lailah was in one of  _ those  _ moods.

“If Her Majesty approves of it, then you’ll see!” Lailah chirped.  _ What..?  _ Why would she be so secretive over an escort? It was suspicious, but considering it was from Lailah, it was probably another one of her bad jokes. At least it wasn’t a pun.

“I’ll put my faith in your decision.” Muse finally agreed. “After all, we need whatever information we can gather.”

“So it’s settled then? I will be travelling with Lucas, Windur and this… Atakk?” Mikleo said. All the seraphim in the room nodded.

“Have them ready in two days’ time.” Muse said to the others. To Mikleo, she said, “You will leave at dawn.”

“I’ll tell Windur right now.” Morgrim stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Majesty.” With a bow, she was gone. Uno was quick to follow.

“I’ll put Lucas in charge of gathering provisions.” He said before he left.

Lailah was the last one out. “I’ll go look for Atakk. Don’t worry, Mikleo,” Lailah winked. “You’ll love him.”

“...Should I ask?” Mikleo said.

“That Lailah…” Muse simply sighed. “She loves her jokes but, we have more pressing concerns. Mikleo, I want you to practice your artes day and night before you leave.”

“Of course. Are there any specific ones you’d like me to practice?” 

“Ah, the usual. Your ranged artes and higher level artes. If you encounter any hellions, you will attack from the rear with Atakk supporting you while Lucas and Windur take the front line. There is no need to practice your healing artes.” Muse held Mikleo’s hand. “I’ve seen you using them on the Elysians. I’ve never seen somebody improve so much in such a short time.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice.” Mikleo muttered.

“Even so, you performed wonderfully. Oh — I almost forgot to tell you.” Muse slapped a hand to her forehead. “Do you want me to tell you about the seraphim of Rayfalke now or when we will discuss… the past?”

“Do Lailah and Zenrus know about the seraphim there as well?”

“Only Lailah does, I believe. I’d like to check in on Enid in a bit. I can give you a brief overview of the seraphim there and fill you in the details later with Lailah.”

“That sounds good.” Mikleo took a seat.

Muse wasted no time getting to the point. “Rayfalke Spiritcrest, as I’m sure you are well aware, is untraveled by humans. It’s quite free from malevolence in that regard. The two seraphim that reign over are a pair of siblings known as Hephsin Yulind and Ufemew Wexub. Their human names are... “ Muse took a moment to think. “...Edna and Eizen. However, I would advise you to refrain from calling them by their human name unless they tell you it first.”

Whatever would help Mikleo stay on their good side. “Is there anything I need to know about their personalities?”

“That’s where Lailah comes in.” Muse said. “I haven’t met them in person. What else is there… Oh, they’re earth seraphim. Very powerful ones at that. If they, for some reason, threaten you, I want you to get out of there as quickly as you can.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Mikleo chewed the inside of his cheek. He’d accepted this mission from the start, but as he gradually began to learn more information about it, he was beginning to regret his hasty decision. Somewhat.

“Speaking of which… you know about the wandering seraphim, correct?”

_ The wandering seraphim…!  _ How long ago was it that Mikleo was searching for information about the wandering seraphim? His antics were so small compared to everything else that happened. All he could remember was that Lailah wasn’t speaking much about the seraphim. “I know very little about him.”

“He’s a wind seraph that is known to lurk around Rayfalke. The earth seraphim know him and I believe they’re familiar. The wandering seraphim should be of no threat to you, but be wary.”

“I’ll warn the others, as well.”

“Thank you, Mikleo. Now, I must be off. Do you have any more questions?”

“I think not. If I have any more, I’ll simply ask you and Lailah later.”

Muse paused. “I haven’t forgotten about our conversation. I’m not sure if we will be able to meet today, Mikleo. But I promise, we will talk about the past before you leave.”

“It’s a busy time for us all but I can wait.”  _ As he had been waiting for months on end. _ That wasn’t something needed to be said aloud, considering the way Muse pursed her lips. “I’ll be at the library’s archives. I’d like to do some more research into Rayfalke’s seraphim and their relation to Ladylake.”

“Very well. I’ll be speaking with Enid about Marlind if you need me.” Muse squeezed Mikleo’s hand as they headed towards the door and out into the castle’s corridors. “I will be seeing you. Remember to practice your artes.”

“Don’t worry, I will, Mother.” Mikleo scoffed. “Goodbye.”

They broke apart, each heading in opposite directions. Mikleo, however, didn’t go straight to the library. He instead headed for the infirmary —  _ Sorey’s  _ infirmary. Thankfully, there were no knights in the room. Sorey was sitting cross-legged on his bed, a book in his lip. Even from a distance, Mikleo could see Sorey’s lips reading along to the words on the pages.

Mikleo approached Sorey, only to see him panic at the sound of his footsteps, shoving the book under his covers. Then Sorey noticed it was Mikleo, but his panic didn’t seem to fade.

“Hello, Sorey. That wasn’t the Celestial Record, was it?” Mikleo narrowed his eyes.

“M-Mikleo! I wasn’t expecting you, haha. Don’t worry, it wasn’t the Celestial Record.” Sorey pulled the book from under his covers as proof. Indeed, he was telling the truth. “Er, so why did you come visit?”

“I can’t just come to visit a friend?” Mikleo teased. “I wanted to talk with you and — Sorey? Is something wrong?”

It was only for a split second, widened eyes and a quiet gasp that faded the instant Mikleo studied Sorey’s face. Sorey rapidly shook his head. “No — nothing! Sorry. I guess I’m just… tired? I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Oh, did you not? Was it your injuries?” Mikleo reached for Sorey’s arm, but he quickly withdrew it, leaving Mikleo’s arm hanging in the air.

“No, they’re not paining me at all. You and the others did a good job of healing them. I was actually up late reading those books you lent me. I fell asleep while reading this one, in fact.” 

“Sorey…” Mikleo groaned. He sensed that it wasn’t the complete truth, though the concept of Sorey falling asleep over his books — in the good way, of course — wasn’t so far-fetched. He made a mental note to ask somebody to check over Sorey’s arm later. “I hope you did not get drool over my books.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t. It’s really interesting, I wouldn’t dare ruin it.”

“That so? Is it why you’re awake reading it instead of getting some much-needed rest?”

“Uh — yeah. I was at a really good part, too, before I fell asleep. I wanted to finish reading it before going back to sleep again.” Sorey said.

“...Don’t let me keep you, then.” Mikleo said. “If anybody asks, say that I came to deliver you a message from Zenrus, alright?”

“Thanks, Mikleo.” Sorey grinned. 

“I’ll see you later, Sorey. Don’t nap for long, otherwise you’ll be awake the whole night.” Mikleo waved and made his way to the end of the room. With his hand on the door, he turned back around. The book was already open on Sorey’s lap and Sorey was watching Mikleo. He waved with his un-injured arm. 

By the time he reached the library, Sorey’s injury was pushed to the back of his mind. He had to prioritize his research, yet he couldn’t quite shake Sorey’s behaviour from his thoughts. Ah, well. Mikleo had plenty of time to do research, even with distractions plaguing him. It was only morning, after all. He had an entire day ahead of himself.

* * *

 

Though it had been about an hour since Mikleo left, Sorey still found himself periodically glancing at the doors to the infirmary, half-expecting to see Mikleo there. Rose was right. It was easier to mix up the truth to create a lie over creating a lie completely from scratch. The book on the history of architecture of Ladylake really  _ was  _ a good read. Sorey had gotten about two-thirds through the book and was finishing another chapter when the doors opened wide. Sorey’s head immediately lifted, slamming the book shut.

It wasn’t Mikleo, or even a knight. It was somebody Sorey didn’t realize he missed so much. “ _ Rose?!”  _ Sorey said, half-surprised, half-confused. The redheaded merchant bore a rather large grin as she strode confidently through the room, ignoring some of the eyes turned on her.

“How’s it going, Sorey? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” Rose sat down on the edge of Sorey’s bed. She lowered her voice. “You doing okay?”

“I-I’m fine.” Sorey said. “Gramps is alright, too. We both managed to make it out okay, but…” Sorey shook his head. “You already know what happened. What about you? Where have you been? Is everyone okay? How did you get inside, anyway? I didn’t know there were visitors allowed in.”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down Sorey.” Rose raised her hands in front of her, palms facing Sorey. “One question at a time. I’ll answer the last one first.” Rose leaned in closer with a certain glimmer in her eyes. “Truth is, I’m not really allowed in. I told the guards that the royal seraphim asked me back inside to question me some more and took a little detour. I knew that you had to be in  _ one  _ of these infirmaries. I spent a while looking through ‘em. You could at least thank me.”

“Question you? Why would the seraphim want to question you? Don’t tell me you got into trouble  _ again _ , Rose.”

“It’s nothing like that!” At least Rose had the decency to look somewhat offended. Normally, she was all-too excited to be in the center of chaos. “We picked up some knights yesterday, actually, the ones from Marlind. We were travelling and came across two of them and decided to drop them off at Ladylake. I was telling the queen herself about it yesterday.”

“You met up with Her Majesty? Queen Muse?” Sorey gasped.

“Yeah. Her son, too. His Royal Highness, Prince Luzrov Rulay. What a mouthful. He’s a lot younger than I expected. They only asked us a couple of questions, like how we found them and stuff. One’s name was… Enid? Yeah, that sounds right. The other one was named Alisha. She was in pretty bad shape.”

“Oh, Alisha!”  _ She was alive!  _ Sorey resisted the urge to cheer.  _ Did Mikleo know?  _ “I hope she’s alright.”

“You know her?”

_ Ah…  _ “I’ve heard of her. She’s pretty uh, popular in the castle.”

“Eavesdropping on the knights, huh, Sorey?” Rose lightly elbowed Sorey’s arm. He chuckled. “Have you found out anything about the inner workings of the castle? Seen any seraphim practicing their super-secret artes?”

“Super-secret artes? Rose, I think you’ve been listening to a little too much gossip, but… I have seen some seraphim. They were the ones healing all of us.” Sorey said. Mikleo and Fethmus Mioma — Lailah — and he even got a glimpse of Muse, once. “They’re pretty nice, actually.”

“Really, Sorey?” Rose snorted. “Of course they’ll be acting nice to you.”

“Rose, I know that they’re seraphim, but they’re not all that bad. I even spoke directly to one of them.”

“What!? Who? How? When?” With each question, Rose moved closer and closer to Sorey until their faces were inches apart.

“One question at a time!” Sorey said. Rose pouted and backed up, a hand on her hip. “It was to the prince, actually. Gramps has some connections with Ladylake’s seraphim and I met him while talking with Gramps. He’s the same age as us, you know.”

“He  _ did  _ look pretty young, but he could have been lying to you. Most seraphim around here are already hundreds of years old.”

“I think he’s telling the truth. He wouldn’t have any reason to lie to us.”

“Sorey.” Rose took a deep breath. “I know you think they’re good and all, but you have to be careful. They could be using you or… or something. Seraphim aren’t exactly all excited to be buddy-buddy with humans. Whenever they want to be, it’s bad news. Remember the incident with the wandering seraphim a while back? He said that he’d protect that human against the hellions and next thing he knew, the seraph killed the human!”

“I get why they may want to avoid humans—”  _ Malevolence.  _ “—but don’t you think that’s being a little harsh? I mean, they look exactly like us. How different can they be?”

“Really different. Just say you’re a serap and boom! You’re now considered top-tier, while leaving us humans behind.” There was a bitterness to Rose’s expression Sorey hadn’t seen in a while.  “I don’t want you to trust the wrong people, Sorey.”

“I know, but I think I can make these sorts of decisions myself. I’ll keep an eye out, though, to make sure the seraphim aren’t… y’know, using me or something like that.” Sorey racked his brain for something to change the subject to before he would accidentally blurt out ‘I know a seraph personally! His name is Mikleo and I trust him!’ or something stupid like that. “Um, Rose? I was kinda wondering — where’s Dezel?”

“Right here.”

Rose squawked, hands going to her knives, nearly falling onto the floor in a mess of limbs and blankets. Sorey turned around and sure enough, Dezel was standing there, appearing the same as always. Once Rose calmed down, she opted to shoot daggers at Dezel instead. She would have looked a lot more intimidating if she weren’t sitting in a nest of blankets on the floor.

“Where the hell did you come from?!”

“I’ve been looking for you. You ran off without telling me where you were going.” Dezel nodded towards Sorey. “Nice to see you, Sorey. I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks, Dezel. I’m glad to see you’re okay, too. How’s everything been?”

“Business has gotten worse. Or better, depending on which way you’re looking at it.” Dezel said cryptically. Rose rolled her eyes.

“He means that it’s been getting harder to do travelling with all the hellions and patrols and whatnot, but a lot of people are buying more herbs and medicines and supplies that’ll help against the hellions.”

“What she said. Speaking of which, we’re ready to leave, Rose. We’re waiting for you. Sorry, Sorey. We’d stay longer, but we’re already behind on business thanks to our detour.”

“Whaat? Already?” Rose whined. “I just got here! Sorey and I have a lot of catching up to do. C’mon, this is probably the first time he’s talked with another person in  _ ages. _ ”

“I’ll be fine, Rose. I’ve been reading a lot of books to pass the time, like the Celestial Record. I’ve made a lot of progress.”

“The Celestial Record?” Dezel asked. “It survived the fire?”

“Wow.” Rose said. “Lucky you!”

“Y-Yeah, I guess I’m pretty lucky.” Sorey opened his bedside drawer, taking out the Celestial Record for Rose and Dezel to see. He brushed off the dust that accumulated over it, opening to the last page he’d been reading. It was one going deeper in depth with resonance, something few humans were born with that enabled them to see seraphim. “See? It’s not so bad.”

“It’d be torture for me to be stuck with nothing but books. Eeyuch!” Rose stuck her tongue out, earning a sigh from Dezel and a laugh from Sorey.

“You should try reading every once in a while, Rose. Maybe you’d learn some things.” Dezel smirked.

“What did you just say?!”

“Nothing. Come on, let’s go.”

“Hold on a sec.” Sorey tucked the Celestial Record back away and leaped off his bed. “I’ll walk you guys out.”

“You sure you’re up for it?” Rose peered over Sorey’s body.

“I’m fine! I’m not hurt at all. It’d be good for me to get some exercise and besides, I want to visit Gramps.”

“How is he?” Dezel led the way to the door.

“Still up and kicking. I think I got out worse than he did.”

“I’d be kicking, too, if I were locked in here.” Rose said.She pointed to a painting on the wall, of Pendrago shining in the sun. “Look at all this stuff! Think of how much it’ll sell for, and it’s just laying here on the walls!”

Sorey laughed, loud and clear, making no effort into keeping his voice down. It’s been far too long since he spoke with a close friend of his. Gramps was Gramps and he was far too busy to entertain Sorey, the knights were kind but they had duties to attend to and Mikleo…

They found themselves by the front entrance to the castle before Sorey had time to appreciate the company he had. Their goodbyes were drawn-out, with Rose clinging to Sorey like an overdramatic lover, sending promises of a reunion, partly to embarrass Dezel and partly because she probably missed Sorey as much as he did her. Thankfully, knights were stationed  _ outside _ the front doors. Rose was a good liar, but she’d have a lot of trouble explaining their antics.

Sorey was left alone in the castle, suddenly feeling so very small. He sighed and prayed for a safe journey for the Sparrowfeathers, then began his way to Gramps’ room. A large, ornate door to his right creaked open — come to think of it, Sorey didn’t know what was behind it. It must have been something important, for it was Mikleo who walked out.

If it weren’t for his regal clothing, Sorey wouldn’t have recognized Mikleo, his face being hidden behind a tower of books in his arms. Not realizing what he was doing, Sorey rushed over to Mikleo, helping him steady the books. “Mik— Your Highness! Do you need any help?”

“Sorey?” Mikleo craned his neck to get a good view of Sorey. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to get some rest.”

“Oh, I did! I slept for a little while. Like you said, if I slept for any longer, I’d be awake all night. ...What’s all this about?” Sorey pointed to the books.

“Research. It’s for…” Mikleo silenced, taking a look around. “I’ll tell you later. I came from the library just now. If you’d like, I can let you inside. It’s never a busy place and I’m sure the people there won’t mind.”

“That… That sounds great!” It really did and Sorey wanted nothing more than to accept and follow Mikleo into what sounded like a dream, but he couldn’t keep Mikleo from his work and the… malevolence. “But I was going to visit Gramps. I said I’d talk to him and well, you know how he can get. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

“Oh… very well.” A crestfallen look came upon Mikleo. “I hope we can talk later, then.”

“Me too.” Sorey said. Guilt surged through his stomach as he watched Mikleo walk away, wanting nothing more than to follow him. _It was for the better._ _It was for the better._

* * *

 

For somebody supposed to be confined to bed rest, Sorey was quite busy. Mikleo shifted the books higher in his arms. If only there was an arte out there that could carry books. Perhaps a wind seraph would be able to — that didn’t matter. He was a water seraph, through and through and water should stay  _ far  _ from books.

His arms quivering under the weight, Mikleo gradually strode through the castle, giving an occasional nod to a knight passing by until one stopped in front of Mikleo. “Your Highness! I bring news from Seraph Fethmus Mioma.”

“Yes? Go on.”

“Knight Alisha has awoken and she — Fethmus Mioma — requests your presence.”

_ Alisha… Alisha was going to be alright?!  _ Years of practice helped Mikleo keep his posture calm and restrained despite the happiness bubbling from inside. “Thank you. You are dismissed.” The books shifted slightly in his arms and Mikleo paused. “On second thought, I would like you to deliver these books to my bedroom on the third floor.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” It was difficult, but Mikleo and the knight managed to exchange the books without dropping even one. Once the knight was out of view, Mikleo groaned, massaging his arms. He’d been relying on his seraphic artes too much; he should try working out. How did Sorey get so muscular? Living on a mountain village, all of his chores… that was probably it. Mikleo always had knights around the castle to do his heavy lifting, while Sorey had only himself. Mikleo thought of Sorey’s arms, muscular, strong, despite all the burns and— 

_ What am I thinking?! _

Mikleo mentally slapped himself and if he weren’t in public, would have physically slapped himself. Now was not the time to be thinking about that! How immodest, to be thinking of somebody,  _ anybody  _ like that, even if it was Sorey. Unfortunately, Mikleo’s mind wandered to that one time Sorey casually lifted his shirt up, so long ago, to prove to Mikleo that his injuries were healed. How… how could he be so… so…  _ calm  _ about it..?! 

_ No! Stop thinking about it! _

What was he thinking about before..? Working out, yes, that was it.  _ Stay focused on that. _ Mikleo’s feet carried him towards Alisha without himself realizing it, at least, until Lailah walked out, quickly homing in on Mikleo. “Mikleo? Is something wrong?”

“I-I’m fine.”

“Your cheeks are red.” Lailah lifted a hand to his forehead and Mikleo cheeks  _ burned  _ a brighter red.  _ It was that noticeable?!  _  “Are you sure nothing is wrong?”

“I was practicing some artes. I may have overexerted myself, but I’ll be fine. Really, Lailah.” Mikleo protested. “What about Alisha? How is her status?”

“She’s… awake. I’ve been speaking with her, but Muse asked me to speak with her instead. She insisted that I needed some rest.” Lailah gave a soft laugh. “I think she may be right.”

“If you’re admitting it, then I will have to agree with my mother.” Mikleo said. Lailah pouted. “I’m sure Alisha is immensely grateful for your help, but she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself.” 

“As I cannot go against the orders of Her Majesty herself, I must leave Alisha to you. Tell me if Alisha has any pains and I will look at them later. For now, I think I may lie down for a bit.” Lailah said.

“Take care of yourself, Lailah.” Mikleo said, pushing open the doors to Alisha’s room. She was sitting up in her bed, gazing out the window. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Alisha flinched, drawing her blanket protectively up to her chin. Mikleo hesitated. “Alisha? It’s just me, Mikleo.”

“O-Oh, Your Highness! Forgive me, I didn’t expect you so soon.” Alisha lowered the blanket, revealing bandages, stained pink, covering her arms and torso. Her face was marred with scrapes and there was a bruise on her cheek. Alisha’s hair, once so proper and prim, was tangled around her shoulders.

“Think nothing of it. I came as soon as I heard you were awake. Alisha…” Mikleo gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry for what happened at Marlind. I wish we could have found you and the others sooner, but we must know: what happened?”

“I’m… I’m not sure. I was going to deliver a report to Lady Maltran when Rodine came running towards me. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that Enid was in trouble.”

“What..? I thought Enid said… No, it doesn’t matter. I want to hear it straight from you. I’m sorry, go on, Alisha?”

“Ah, er, very well, Your Highness.” Alisha took a moment to take a breath. “There were a group of hellions in a clearing. Enid was not there and when I turned around, Rodine was gone as well. I wanted to call for them, but the hellions quickly overpowered me.”

“Is that where you got your wounds from?”

“No… not all of them, at least. After I defeated the hellions, I went back to Marlind, but everything was under attack and the knights were nowhere to be seen..! I tried looking for them, Your Highness, but I couldn’t find any of them. Please, forgive me.”

“Not even Lady Maltran?”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. If I only hurried back faster, I could have—”

“Don’t apologize.” Mikleo raised a finger, silencing Alisha. “What happened was not your fault. I assure you.”

“But Marlind…”

“Was overcome by malevolence, yes. I am not sure of what Lady Maltran told you about malevolence, but it can be eliminated. There is still a chance to save Marlind. Alisha… how did you sustain your injuries?”

“When I got back to Marlind, most of the knights were missing. Lady Maltran was nowhere in sight. I heard… laughter.” Alisha shuddered. Mikleo sucked in a breath. Laughter..? Could it be the same  _ thing  _ that attacked Elysia? “It was that of a madman and it belonged to a hellion. I confronted it and demanded to know why it was in Marlind. The hellion only laughed and called me foolish.”

“Did you engage it in battle?”

“Yes. The hellion was far more powerful than anything I could have experienced and as I was on my own, I was not able to hold out for long. But… I felt like the hellion was toying with me. I don’t think it intended to kill me. It tried to hurt me without striking any fatal blows.”

“Can you describe its appearance? Did it give you a name, anything?”

“It had long, golden hair and pale, white skin. Its face reminded me of a fox.” Alisha pursed her lips. “I do not recognize the fighting style from anywhere. It fought with its fists and used fire-based artes. Oh, if only I had been prepared, I could have—”

“That will be enough.” Mikleo cut her off. Indeed, that was enough for Mikleo to confirm that the attacks on Marlind and Elysia were somehow related. They were one step closer to identifying and later, stopping the culprit behind the attacks.

“Your Highness, did anybody make it out alive?”

“You and Enid are the only people from Marlind accounted for. That does not mean that those aren’t are dead. We’re still searching for them. Do you have any idea of where they may be?”

“No, Your Highness…” Alisha bowed her head.

“It’s quite alright, Alisha. Do you have any more information to give?” Mikleo asked. He hated having to question Alisha so soon. If he had a choice, he’d let her rest until she was back on her feet before questioning her.

“No, nothing.”

“Thank you, Alisha. Your help is appreciated. Both here and at Marlind. Believe me when I say that nobody here thinks badly of you for what happened at Marlind. It was something out of our control.”

Alisha chose to stare down at her hands, picking at her nails. 

“Please, get some rest. Do you need anything? Sleep medicine, food…” Mikleo prompted. Alisha shook her head.

“I think some rest is all I need. Your Highness, if it isn’t too much to ask… I’d like you to thank Lady Lailah for me.”

“I will.”

By the time Mikleo left the room, Alisha was fast asleep. First things first: he had to find Muse. She’d been the one talking to Enid and he had to tell her about Alisha’s story. To be more specific on that, the differences in their stories. Alisha’s story was similar to Enid’s, yes, in the way that they were attacked by hellions. But, Alisha said Enid was the one to lead her to the hellions..? If that was the case, then Enid wasn’t telling the truth. If Enid was telling the truth, it meant that Alisha was accusing the siblings of… betrayal?

_ Betrayal in the knights… _

Mikleo picked up his pace. He knew Enid and Rodine had their problems, but betrayal was out of the question. They’d served under Lady Maltran for years. Lady Maltran almost thought of them as her second-in-command, right next to Alisha. Alisha, who Mikleo trusted to have his back. Something wasn’t right. Another mystery to add to the pile. Mikleo sighed. Whenever one was eliminated, another three took its place.

He twisted a corner and as luck would have it, caught sight of Muse walking in the same direction as Mikleo. He ran towards her, without care of who saw his behaviour. “Mother! I must speak with you about something.”

“As must I.” Muse replied. “I was just coming to get you. Lailah and Zenrus are waiting in the meeting room. I believe it’s time for our talk.”

* * *

 

“Now, where do I begin?”

Muse, Lailah, Zenrus and Mikleo were all sitting in the meeting room. There were no knights in the room and the windows were sealed tightly shut. Mikleo leaned forward in his seat. This was what he’d been waiting for. Muse pondered for a moment.

“Mikleo, I never told you much about my brother Michael, did I?”

“I only know that you inherited the throne from him after he died in battle unexpectedly, shortly after I was born.”

“That’s true.” Muse sighed. “You were but a baby. His death was a surprise to us all.”

“How did he die?” Mikleo asked. Judging from the way Lailah flinched, he was too blunt with that question. Ah, he let his excitement and curiosity overtake his manners. Oops.

“For that, I will need to go back to the beginning of the story. About twenty or so years back, it was a dark age for Glenwood. Malevolence was thick and hellions ran rampant throughout the land. At the time, Michael was king of Ladylake while Lailah and myself worked under him.

The malevolence was caused by the humans, yes, but there was a hellion, one much more powerful than the others, that was generating malevolence at an astonishing rate. That hellion’s goal was to bring chaos and destruction to human and seraphim alike. Humans nicknamed it—” Muse glanced to Lailah, who gave a tiny nod. “—the Lord of Calamity.”

“That was a name given by humans.” Lailah said. “For throughout history, there have been many Lords of Calamity. I’ve… I’ve seen quite a few myself, but none as powerful as the most recent one.”

“Did the Lord of Calamity have a name?” Mikleo asked.

“Heldalf. He was once an esteemed knight who worked directly under Michael.” Muse replied. “Ladylake and Pendrago did not have good relations then. War was foreseeable and Heldalf was, to be blunt, a warmonger, even with his close bond with Michael. He tried his best to advocate Michael to attack first, though my brother did not give in. However, something happened between Michael and Heldalf, and he banished him from the kingdom. I don’t quite know what happened, myself.”

“After Michael banished Heldalf, he sought me out to replace him.” Lailah said. “We thought nothing of it, originally, but I suppose Heldalf took the loss harder than what we expected. Michael’s decision to banish Heldalf may have encouraged him to start developing malevolence, which quickly overtook him in his fragile state.”

“To banish your right-hand man from the kingdom… Heldalf must have done something unforgivable.” Mikleo raised his hand to his chin.

Muse made a sound of agreement. “That is what I believe. I trust in Michael and I don’t believe he suspected that Heldalf harboured so much malevolence. The humans have a tendency to pass down legends and stories from the past. It is no surprise that they called Heldalf the Lord of Calamity.”

“Many humans and seraphim alike suffered from the effects of the Lord of Calamity’s malevolence.” Lailah said. “There was nobody you could trust. Human and seraphim relations were strained to the point where I feared their connection may break completely. Our situation now is terrible, Mikleo, but back then, it seemed like the world was coming to an end.”

“How does this all relate to Elysia and me?”

Muse and Lailah shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Zenrus cleared his throat. “Twenty years ago, Mikleo, Elysia was not the only village on the mountain by Ladylake. There was a second village further up the mountain named Camlann. It was quite a strategic point for Ladylake to use if a war were to ever appear between Ladylake and Pendrago. As your mother said, war was foreseeable and with Heldalf harbouring a grudge over Ladylake, he intended to sabotage Ladylake.”

“He sabotaged Camlann?”

“Not personally. Heldalf had many supporters. They were the ones to set fire to Camlann.”

“Set fire…” Mikleo paled. “Just… just like Elysia? Is this the ‘similar event’ you told me about, Sir Zenrus?”

“Unfortunately. Unlike Elysia, Camlann was much farther than Ladylake. By the time Michael and his forces arrived, much of the town was already gone. Hah!” Zenrus gave a hacking cough. “I seem to bring bad luck with me wherever I travel.”

“ _ You  _ were in Camlann at the time?”

“I was living in it. I saw it happen and I saw it happen again at Elysia.”

“What happened afterwards?! What did Michael do?”

“The mountains are filled with ruins. The most notable is one known as Artorius’ Throne. Has his name every came up in your studies?” Muse said to Mikleo.

“Briefly. I recall that he was one of the first humans to solidify human and seraphim relations.”

“Yes, that’s correct.” Another sigh. “Michael called for Heldalf to come to Camlann, whether for pacifist reasons or because he wanted to stop the destruction Heldalf brought. Either way, a fight broke out between the Lord of Calamity and Michael.”

“Michael was a wonderful king of Ladylake.” Lailah said wistfully. “His knights were loyal and strong, but Heldalf was much more powerful due to the new malevolence generated from Camlann’s destruction. It was a losing battle. Most of Michael’s knights died in battle.”

“Lailah… were you there?” Mikleo said. Lailah nodded. “Mother, you too?”

“I am amazed I survived. Heldalf targeted Michael first and me second. I think he hoped to use me against Michael, knowing that I was related to him.”

“How did you survive?”

Muse took a minute to gather herself, massaging her temple, her fingers running over the jewels inlaid in her circlet. “There was no other option. If we continued to fight, everybody would have perished. Michael realized this. He… he was gravely injured. He may not have survived the battle and so he decided that he would take Heldalf with him.”

Lailah reached over for Muse’s hand as she continued speaking. “He led Heldalf down into Artorius’ Throne and… He told me, all of us to stay back. I don’t know exactly what happened there, but he must have sacrificed himself to seal Heldalf away.” Mikleo gasped. “When we got to the bottom of the ruins, they were gone and a seal was in their place. The seal is no longer accessible. After us seraphim came across it, we created an additional seal to prevent anybody from going closer so that they would not undo it.”

“That… that was how Michael died? I’m sorry, Mother.” Mikleo said.

“He sacrificed himself for his kingdom. That is all I can say to comfort myself. However, Heldalf is not dead. He is merely sealed away.”

“The gathering malevolence and presence of hellions is exactly what I saw twenty years ago.” Zenrus said. “Not all of Heldalf’s supporters were found. Many of them died, but some survived.”

“You think that his supporters are trying to break the seal on Heldalf?”

“I have asked for help from seraphim around the land that do not reside in our kingdom.” Lailah said. “They are protecting the seal we placed over Michael’s seal and Heldalf. Malevolence is the very enemy of seraphim and the gathering malevolence is causing the seal to weaken.”

“Heldalf could not be defeated in the past. Our world has only just begun to recover from his previous rampage.” Zenrus said. He didn’t need to say that there was little chance to defeat him a second time.

“Marlind and Elysia has fallen. Pendrago has its own struggles. But, for the sake of Ladylake and my brother, I will not let his sacrifice be in vain. Now is not the time to mourn the past.” Muse said. “I will stand by what I said before. I will not let history repeat itself.”

_ Strained human and seraphim relations. More hellions, more malevolence. A village set on fire. _ Next that happened was Michael and Heldalf’s final encounter. Then, Michael’s sacrifice. The king of Ladylake sacrificing himself for his family and kingdom.

“Nor will I.” Mikleo’s voice resounded clear throughout the room, determination exuding from every word. He would not let history repeat itself. He would not allow any more knights to perish. He would not allow any more villages and kingdoms to succumb to malevolence. He would not allow Muse to die, in battle or as a sacrifice. 

“I, as well.” Zenrus said.

“I will do everything in my power to protect Ladylake.” Lailah agreed. “And all of you. Muse… would you prefer me to tell Mikleo about his past, or will you do it yourself?”

“I think it would be best for me to do it.” Muse looked straight at Mikleo. “You know there are two ways for a seraph to be born. Though Michael and I say we are siblings, we were merely born from the same place and share no blood. You and I are the same, Mikleo.”

“I suspected as much. Seraphim do not have family in the same way that humans do.”

“Mikleo… not all seraphim are born as seraphim. In extreme cases, a person may turn into a seraph upon their death.”

All air escaped from Mikleo’s lungs, leaving him gasping for air. “What… what do you mean?”

“You were not born as a seraph. You were born as a human.” Muse didn’t meet Mikleo’s eyes.

“You had perished in Camlann’s fire.” Zenrus took over.

“I… I was a human?” It couldn’t be true. He’d… He’d  _ died  _ once before? “That doesn’t make any sense! How could a baby have turned into a seraph?!”

“Perhaps due to Michael’s seal.” Zenrus said. “A great surge of mana was released when he sacrificed himself and it must have reached you.”

“I was leaving the remains of the house —  _ your  _ house,” Muse corrected. “When I heard a baby crying. I thought the baby was dead, but when I looked again, there you were, in your crib. A seraph.”

“I was not born from the same place you and Michael came from.” Mikleo confirmed. Bitterly, he thought,  _ Perhaps that was the reason why I am so attached to humans.  _

“No. Seeing that you were a seraph, I decided to adopt you and bring you home to Ladylake.” Muse’s eyes grew watery. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Mikleo.”

“There was another baby that survived.” Zenrus murmured. Mikleo wanted to scream at him.  _ Another  _ baby that survived? There was only  _ one.  _ The other one — himself — had  _ died! _ “The baby was human and so I took him with me to Elysia. Sorey.”

“He’s from Camlann, too?”  _ So if Heldalf never went to Camlann, he and Sorey would have both been humans, living in the same village… _

“Yes. You and him both.” Muse said. “You started off your lives so similar, but took such different paths.”

Mikleo laid his head in his hands. This was too much to take in. He wasn’t related to Muse in anyway. He was supposed to be a human. He had a mother and a father. He wasn’t like the other seraphim. The other seraphim remained quiet until, at last, Mikleo lifted his head. When he looked at Muse, he saw tears on her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Mikleo.” Muse whispered.

“Mother, I…” Mikleo rose from his seat and rushed over to Muse. Lailah moved out of the way to make room for Mikleo as he threw himself into his mother’s arms. Muse tentatively wrapped her arms around Mikleo’s back. “I wish that Camlann’s destruction never had to happen. But, I am glad that it gave me the chance to be your son. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.” Mikleo felt tears of his own falling onto Muse’s clothes. 

“I’m so thankful that I brought you home that day. You brought me so much joy since Michael’s sacrifice.”

Mikleo hoarsely laughed. True, he had his struggles as a seraph and as a prince. But, it was through these struggles that he met so many humans and seraphim and serving his kingdom was his biggest pride. He and Sorey had met, despite fate being intent on tearing them apart. How could he ask for anything different?

He and his mother remained in each other’s arms, simply letting their embrace speak for them. Lailah and Zenrus’ mumbles were barely audible, but there was something fond in their voices.

Evidently, their meeting went on longer than the seraphim expected, for a loud knocking on the door separated Muse and Mikleo. They broke apart, each drying their cheeks. Then, with a nod to Lailah, Muse stood up as Lailah opened the door.

“Seraph Fethmus Mioma, your presence is requested in the infirmary. Your Majesty, a message from Pendrago has arrived and awaits you.”

“You are dismissed.” Muse bowed to Lailah and Zenrus. Lailah went to follow the knight, but Zenrus went straight for Mikleo.

“Mikleo. You are not to tell anybody about this. Not a single person.” Zenrus muttered. Translation:  _ Don’t tell Sorey.  _ With Muse still standing near, Mikleo couldn’t ask Zenrus why. 

“Don’t worry. I will keep silent about this.” He said. Muse and Mikleo shared a look. Mikleo mustered up a smile. “It’s alright. I think I’ve heard all that I can handle today. Thank you for telling me all this. It must have been hard.”

“I have had plenty of time to prepare myself.” Muse returned the smile. “I wish we could speak for longer, but…”

“...We have many duties to attend to.” Mikleo finished. “Such is the life of Ladylake royalty.”

“Are you trying to tease me already?”

“Not at all! I think I will take a break. I want to give myself some time to think things over.”

“My, what important duties.” Muse deadpanned, yet there was nothing but affection in her gaze.

* * *

 

Mikleo ended up practicing his seraphic artes for the rest of the day, the concentration required a perfect excuse to get his mind off of Michael and Heldalf and his origins. While the moon was high in the sky now, he couldn’t rest just yet. He still had one thing left to do before he parted for his expedition in the morning. No knights paid him any heed, but the ones outside Sorey’s infirmary were a lot more suspicious. 

“Another message from Sir Zenrus? At this time?”

“I’m afraid it cannot wait.”

They gave Mikleo a strange look, but opened the doors nonetheless. Mikleo gazed around. All of the Elysians were sleeping, Sorey included. As quietly as he could, Mikleo went to Sorey’s bedside and placed a hand on Sorey’s shoulder, then stopped. Mikleo listened closely.

Sorey was huddled under the blanket, only his eyes and the top of his head peeking out. Mikleo lowered his head to Sorey’s. It was drenched with sweat and Sorey’s breaths were coming short and quick. “Sorey?” Mikleo whispered. “Sorey? What’s wrong? Wake up!”

Mikleo moved to brush Sorey’s hair off his forehead, his fingers barely brushing over skin when Sorey sprang upwards with a gasp. Someone from across the room stirred in their bed. “Sorey? What’s wrong?” Mikleo repeated.

“Mikleo..?” Sorey focused in on Mikleo, as if suddenly noticing him. “Mikleo! What… what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I’m asking you that! You were sweating and breathing heavily and something was wrong with you. It’s your injuries, isn’t it.” Mikleo grabbed Sorey’s arm and, ignoring his protest, lifted the sleeve. There were no visible signs of harm on it. Mikleo hovered his other hand over Sorey’s arm, the incantation for a healing spell already on his lips when Sorey pushed Mikleo’s hand away.

“My arm is alright, Mikleo! Really, I’m not hurt.”

“Then how do you explain—”

“I was having a bad dream.” Sorey whispered. “That’s it.”

“O-Oh.”  _ Mikleo, you idiot.  _ “I… I didn’t realize that. Would you — do you want to talk about it?”

“I’ll be fine, it was nothing bad.” Sorey shrugged. “I want to know why you came here.”

‘Are you  _ sure _ you’re doing well, Sorey?’ Mikleo wanted to ask, but considered against it. He was wrong about Sorey’s arm, what was to say he wouldn't be wrong again? He opted to instead say, “I wanted to tell you something. I’m — I’m leaving tomorrow. For an expedition to Rayfalke Spiritcrest, the largest mountain in Glenwood.”

“An expedition? To some ruins?”

“I wish.” Mikleo said. Sorey visibly deflated. “It is to ask for the help of seraphim from Rayfalke. We’re in desperate need of any assistance at all. My mother is unable to go and so, I will have to convince them to help.”

“Sounds pretty difficult.”

“I will be gone for little over a week, if things go well. I just… wanted to tell you that, so you don’t need to worry about me disappearing suddenly or think that I was avoiding you.”

“Will it be dangerous?”

“I have a reliable escort with me.”

“That’s — that’s good.”

“...That was all I wanted to tell you. Sorry for waking you.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

“Perhaps I’ve been spending too much time with you.”

“Huh?”

“I need to get some rest. I leave in the morning.” Mikleo straightened the wrinkles out from Sorey’s bedsheets where he’d sat, his smirk fully visible. “Goodbye, Sorey.”

“Right. Bye, Mikleo. Stay safe.”

Mikleo hesitated. His eyes wandered over Sorey, the village boy raised in Elysia. The boy born in Camlann. The  _other_ boy born in Camlann. If things happened a little differently, he could have been in the infirmary along with Sorey. Or perhaps they’d both be in their respective homes in Camlann, sleeping soundly in houses full of life. Had Sorey been born as a seraph, would Muse have taken him in, too?

_ You are not to tell anybody about this. Not a single person. _

Mikleo left without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I want to try shortening my chapters and see if I can give the same amount of information in less words. In other words, I want to try the 'less is more' rule and see how well that works out for this chapter."
> 
> proceeds to write 9.1k words with ~7k words written in ~4 days
> 
> why am i like this (/._.)/


	12. White Light

It was time.

The carriage was all set and the knights ready to go. Lucas and Windur were going to guide the horses while Mikleo remained inside the carriage. If all things went well, they’d be able to make it to a river some distance away from Ladylake where they planned to rest for the night, before continuing their expedition to Rayfalke.

Lucas and Windur were already waiting by the horses, chatting. Mikleo scanned around for Atakk, growing more confused by the moment, until he saw something peculiar sitting atop the carriage...

“A _normin?!”_ Mikleo gasped. Atakk cheerfully waved to Mikleo and Lailah, a task that proved difficult due to the oversized golden helmet he wore on his head. “What were you thinking?”

Lailah giggled. “I told you it would be a surprise, didn’t I? I don’t think you’ve met before, have you? Your Highness, this is Atakk. Atakk, Prince Luzrov Rulay.”

“Hiya, Your Highness! It’s nice to meetcha!” Atakk said. His helmet’s design vaguely reminded Mikleo of the Era of Asgard, which only raised the question: how did a normin come upon such an important artifact from the past?

“It’s… It is a pleasure.” It came out more like a question. Atakk caught on fairly quickly.

“Aw, don’t be like _that_ , Your Highness. I’m no knight or seraph like the rest of you, but I can prove to be just as helpful! I know lots of things about Rayfalke and what’s been goin’ on around here.” Atakk motioned for Mikleo to lean downwards. After casting a cautious glance around, Mikleo obeyed. “If you ask me, there’s been some mighty suspicious behaviour around Ladylake. No offense to you, of course.”

“None taken. May I ask where you come from?”

“Marlind. There’s this big art museum that I lived in and being a normin, I was a little more sensitive to malevolence. I sensed that somethin’ was comin’, so I left before, y’know, the malevolence overtook it.” Atakk pulled his helmet further down his head, his voice now an echo. “I don’t wanna talk about it much, but I sure hope I can go back soon…”

“We shall make sure of it.” Mikleo rose.

“Are you ready?” Lailah asked.

“I believe we are.” Mikleo looked to Windur and Lucas, both of whom nodded their agreement. “Atakk, would you like to ride with me in the carriage?”

Atakk peered out from under the helmet. “Sure do!”

“Then we will be off.” Mikleo said. His goodbyes to Lailah were quick; there was little time to spare. He and Atakk boarded the carriage as Lucas and Windur mounted their horses. With one, final signal, the expedition officially began. To Rayfalke Spiritcrest, home to the seraphim. The horses whinnied as they took off with a gallop.

From the castle’s top floor, Muse watched her son leave through a land filled with hellions and malevolence, to a pure mountain where their desperation was guiding them.

From the windows of the infirmary, Sorey watched his friend leave to a world he’s never been to, away from the worries the castle of Ladylake held.

“He’s going to be fine.” Zenrus walked up from behind Lailah, smoking his pipe. So he’d been watching Mikleo leave too, Lailah thought. Her eyes remained locked on the carriage, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest.

“I still can’t help but worry.” she murmured.

“Do you believe that the seraphim of Rayfalke will help us?”

“We can only hope.”

* * *

 

_The seraph had protected a village from a pack of hellions terrorizing the village. The seraph had kept its eye on the humans, enthralled with their life and refused to let their homes be destroyed. As thanks, the humans who believed in seraphim gave their blessings and begged for the seraph to stay. The seraph agreed and casted a protective domain over the village, the first of its kind._

The Celestial Record was the best way for Sorey to keep his mind preoccupied. Translating the ancient tongue and taking in the new information taught through the book was no easy task, after all, especially without Mikleo’s guidance. Mikleo, travelling miles away from Ladylake. Sorey bit his lip. It was the perfect excuse for Mikleo to keep away from Sorey and the dangers he posed. Wasn’t it?

A shake of his head. No use dwelling on that thought. Sorey focused back on the Celestial Record. He’d been making good progress. If he had to guess, he was around forty percent through the book, much farther than he’d ever gone before. After the Mayvin story, there were only chapters about the growing relations of humans and seraphim, which involved the seraphim showing themselves to humans. Funnily enough, it was usually the humans who instigated contact. Less funny were the relations between the two. Currently, he was reading about the first instance in which a seraph came to the aid of humans.

_Humans from other settlements began to avoid the village and trade with the outside world quickly slowed. Though the humans in the village felt safe, other humans feared the seraph’s power and its potential. The rest of the seraphim, on the other hand, looked down with scorn to the one who was protecting the village._

_Gradually, the seraph extended its domain as its power grew with the human’s blessings. While the villagers were happy, other settlements grew wary, believing the humans were using the seraph to gain power throughout the land. Months passed and as the seraph’s domain grew larger, so did the rest of humanity’s desire to quell the seraphim in charge._

_Eventually, the village was proving to be too much of a threat and the humans from the outside decided that it must be eliminated._

Sorey shut the Celestial Record with a thud, a sickening feeling growing in his stomach. This was not going where he wanted it to go. It was nearing noon, anyhow. Lunch would be served in a few moments and he couldn’t be caught reading the Celestial Record.

He found that he couldn't take even a single bite of his meal.

* * *

 

Lucas: Originally a mercenary that was recruited into the knights due to his capable skills in battle. Loud and rambunctious and seemed like the rebel type, but he followed orders well.

Windur: Quiet, a sharp contrast to Lucas. He fought with a staff, much like Mikleo, only that he did not use it as a melee weapon. Lucas liked to tease him a fair bit.

Atakk: His powers as a normin were extremely helpful to both Mikleo and Windur, just as Lailah said. Though they’d fought only one battle against a rowdy group of hellions, he already showed to be a faithful ally. But, he liked to talk. A lot. Almost too much, if Mikleo had to admit. Thankfully, he’d fallen asleep little over two and a half hours into their trip, leaving Mikleo to gaze out the window of the carriage.

It was a beautiful world outside of Ladylake. Mikleo never left the kingdom, only travelling to Elysia, the ruins nearby and once, Pendrago, when he was much younger. He’d never seen a world untouched by humans and malevolence. Farms stretched across the land, beautiful crops growing under the sun and the forests were lush with life, so different from the usual bustle of Ladylake.

There were mountains in the distance, their tops hidden under the clouds, though Rayfalke was not one of them. It was much farther along. As they travelled farther from Ladylake, the itch of malevolence along Mikleo’s skin slowly faded. For only seraphim to have ever resided at Rayfalke, far above the malevolent land, how would it feel? He’d never been to a place so pure.

It was rumored that the seraphim there never made contact with humans and any that traversed near were chased off. Those seraphim had not helped Michael in his fight with the Lord of Calamity. Why had they forsaken the humans and seraphim suffering below? Were they ignorant or was their contempt of humans that strong?

Mikleo remained watching the world pass before him until he, too, fell asleep to the soft rocking of the carriage.

* * *

 The Celestial Record stared back at Sorey. He’d never been reluctant to read more of it. Yet, he couldn't keep putting it off forever. He had to know what happened.

_There was no prior warning. The humans from the outside attacked, far outnumbering the villagers. They fell quickly and the seraph that casted the domain was overrun by the human’s fury and hatred. Paired with the seraph’s own emotions — fear, turmoil and anger of its own —, malevolence began to overrun the seraph’s domain. It was only a matter of time before the malevolence found its way into the seraph’s heart. When it did, the results were terrifying._

_The malevolence corrupted the seraph and, before the eyes of all the humans and seraphim watching, turned it into a dragon that wrought devastation to the villagers and outsiders alike._

There was a sketch of a dragon etched under the paragraph. A scaly beast with glowing eyes, as tall as towers. Giant, sharp claws and wings that could have stretched from one end of Elysia to the other. Barely, he remembered Mikleo saying something or another about dragons and how they were the most dangerous thing a human or seraph could meet.

He’d said that those strange Empyreans were the ones that turned into dragons but the seraph in the story turned into a dragon. All due to the malevolence..?  

_The seraph that once protected the village with its life brought destruction among the very same village. There were no survivors of the village and the malevolence spawned hellions that ravaged other settlements The dragon created unimaginable chaos in the world._

_The seraphim blamed the humans for the appearance of the dragon, whose malevolence was far more potent than any could deal with. The humans blamed the seraphim, seeing as they were the ones to turn into dragons. If the seraphim had only avoided humans, this tragedy could have been avoided._

* * *

 

“Your Highness?”

Mikleo blinked once, twice, rubbing at his eyes. Oh, how long had he been asleep for? He looked down to see Atakk on his lap, pushing at his arm. “Yes?”

“Lucas and Windur said that we’re takin’ a little rest stop. You can come out to stretch your feet.”

Mikleo yawned. “I think I’d like that. You may join me, if you’d like.”

“Thanks, Your Highness!” Atakk hopped onto Mikleo’s shoulder. Mikleo lurched forward, caught off-guard by the sudden weight of Atakk. That helmet of his was _really_ heavy. Either Atakk was using some sort of magic to keep it upright, or he was that strong.

Outside, a cool breeze welcomed Mikleo to a spot just off the dirt road, beside a forest. Not even Ladylake’s castle was visible over the horizon. On second thought, there was no sign of a civilization at all. He’d been sleeping for a long while. Windur was feeding the horses, while Lucas was feeding himself. With bulging cheeks, he gave a lazy salute to Mikleo.

“You’re finally awake, Your Highness. We’ve been makin’ good progress and we’re right on schedule.” Lucas said.

“That is wonderful to hear.” The stiffness in Mikleo’s legs hadn’t vanished just yet, so he said, “I’d like to take a look around. You may remain here.”

“Your Highness, I’m afraid we cannot let you wander away.” Windur said.

“Leave him be! This is probably the first time His Highness has ever gone out.” Lucas keenly avoided Windur’s glare. “Don’t worry ‘bout us, Your Highness.”

“I’ll go with him!” Atakk said from atop Mikleo’s head. Really, he was making a nest of Mikleo’s hair at this point. “I don’t sense any malevolence around here, but if we see a hellion, we’ll call for your help.”

“But—” Windur tried to go to Mikleo, but Lucas stopped him.

“I need your help here with the horses, anyway. C’mon, the prince can take care of himself.”

“Thank you, Lucas.” Mikleo nodded. “If an issue arises, rest assured, I will call for your assistance. I will not wander far.”

At long last, Windur gave in with a slump. That was Mikleo’s cue to enter the forest, stepping through patches of undergrowth and bushes. The forest was rather nice. Quaint and a lot less difficult to traverse than Elysia’s. Dense moss covered the trees and somewhere, in the distance, there was the faint trickling sound of a stream. Atakk was humming a tune to himself as Mikleo marched through the woods. He was going much farther than he should have, but his walk was far too refreshing to stop.

He stumbled into a clearing in the woods, where the sun shone through the canopy of leaves, casting dancing shadows on the grass below. _Wow._ It was the perfect spot to curl up with a good book. Too bad he left all of them on the carriage. Mikleo stepped into the middle of the clearing and took a deep breath, feeling the flow of nature all around him.

Then a twig snapped somewhere behind him and Mikleo’s staff was in his hands in mere seconds.

“Atakk. Did you hear that?” Mikleo hissed. Atakk stopped humming and lifted his helmet. Windur wouldn’t dare try to sneak up on him. Lucas trusted Mikleo and wouldn’t have gone after him in the forest. That left somebody, or something, else entirely. “Who is there? Show yourself!”

Mikleo jumped when a deep, gruff voice answered him from somewhere beyond the trees, in a place opposite to where he heard the twig snap. “Sheesh. No need to act so rude. I just came here to talk.”

“I would prefer it if we could chat face-to-face, instead.”

“Suit yourself.” The voice replied and something came whizzing out from the trees, just out of the corner of Mikleo’s vision. He threw himself aside, narrowly avoiding whatever passed by. Atakk lost his grip and fell to the ground in a heap and immediately, Mikleo stood over him, staff raised. The voice chuckled. “Not bad.”

Out of the woods came a tall figure, with dark skin, piercing orange eyes and white hair. No, not like Lailah’s. White hair that carelessly cascaded down the man’s back, wild and tossed about by the wind. The man lacked a shirt to reveal tattoos and defined muscles. He was no stranger to fights.

“Who are you?” Mikleo repeated.

The man thumped himself on the chest. “Name’s Zaveid. Zaveid the Whirlwind. A wandering seraph, and nothing more.”

“The wandering seraph?!”

“Oho, so you’ve heard about me.” Zaveid said. There was a swagger to his walk as he approached Mikleo, though stopped short when Mikleo pointed his staff at him. Atakk tugged at Mikleo’s pant leg.

“Your Highness, I’ll get the others!”

“Hold on.” Mikleo didn’t need any interference. He had some questions. “What is your business here, _Zaveid?”_

“Relax. Just wanted to pay a little visit to the prince of Ladylake on his fabled adventure.” Zaveid said. “You look a lot different than what I imagined.”

“Are you insulting me?”

“If that’s the way you wanna take it. So, you’re heading over to Rayfalke, eh? Think the seraphim there are gonna help you?”

“My kingdom and I must take a chance and hope for the best.”

“I dunno about that, they’re a pretty stingy bunch.” Zaveid casually rested a hand on his hip. “What’re you gonna propose to them?”

“I believe that’s confidential.” Mikleo said shortly. “Now, I want to ask _you_ some questions. Do you know the seraphim on Rayfalke?”

“I guess you could say that but lookie here, Prince… what was your name?”

“I am Prince Luzrov Rulay of Ladylake, son of Her Majesty Muse.”

“Geez, you seraphim oughta lighten up a little. Why not go simple like your mother and stick with a human name? What is your human name?"

“I believe it’s customary for a seraph to offer their human name only to somebody you trust and you have given me no reason to trust you.” Mikleo tightened his grip on his staff.

“Would you trust me if I said I was sent by the castle?” Zaveid’s grin was cat-like in demeanor.

“By whom?”

Zaveid’s grin grew larger. “Why not try asking around? Looks like the wind’s calling me, _Mikleo._ Gotta go.”

“Now hold on a minute! I demand you explain yourself! How do you know my human name?”

He paused. “Tell ol’ Lailah and Muse that Zaveid sends his regards. Tell them I’m keeping true to my word.”

“You know Lailah and my mother?” Mikleo gasped. He ran up to Zaveid. “Do not leave! What did you say to — hey!” A flurry of wind formed around Zaveid, spinning around Mikleo and blinding him in a flurry of debris, dirt and leaves. When the wind dispersed, Zaveid was gone, nothing but leaves floating to the ground left in his wake.

“Should we go after him, Your Highness?” Atakk asked.

“...No. If my mother and Lailah are in contact with him, then he can be trusted. If he is truly the wandering seraph, then he is only a threat to hellions.” Mikleo said. Lailah’s words the previous night came back to him. She’d been asking seraphim from outside the kingdom to keep an eye on Heldalf’s seal. He wouldn’t put it past them to send extra help to cover Mikleo on his expedition. Even if that was the case, Zaveid posed no threat and they had not the time to chase after him. “Atakk. I do not want you to speak of this to _anyone_ for the remainder of this trip. That is an order.”

“If you say so, Your Highness…”

“Let us go back to the others. I’m sure that they must be ready to move on by now.”

* * *

  _Previously, seraphim and humans shared the same world without interaction. Now, the seraphim and humans fought to keep control over the world. Death and heartbreak tore through the land, indiscriminate to their victims. The seraphim fought to control the humans, those who had malevolence, whilst the humans fought to free themselves from the grasp and power of seraphim, who they believed to not be from their world. This was the war between humans and seraphim._

A war. Though he was reading the words on the pages, Sorey scarcely believed that they were true. Sure, there was friction between the two, but _war?_ The destruction of a village was what brought about a war that lasted… Sorey checked a note he made in the margins, barely making out his handwriting under the moonlight. It’d be easier to read if he lit a candle, but that would only call attention to his activity at this time of the night. He squinted. Three years. The war lasted for three years.

_It has been said that humanity’s brightest light shines in its darkest of moments. Such was the belief of a man by the name of Asura. The land was nothing but malevolence and the war showed no sign of stopping. If it continued, there would be nothing left. Asura sought to change this fact._

_Asura left for the Empyreans’ Throne, where the strongest seraphim were rumored to reside. Along the way, he passed by ruined settlement after ruined settlement, dead body after dead body. The path through to the Empyreans’ Throne was painted in blood and it was only Asura’s determination to save the world that kept his heart free from malevolence._

_He arrived with pleas for a ceasefire, yet no seraph at the throne would agree. One man was powerless against a group of seraphim against humanity. He begged, he argued, insisting that humans and seraphim must unite against their common enemy, the malevolence. His pure heart was the only thing that saved him from being killed on the spot for spouting such foolish ideals._

_“What do you intend to do?” a seraph asked the man._

_“I want your power.” Asura replied. “I want to borrow your power as seraphim to aid me in eliminating the malevolence from the world. With the power of the seraphim and humans working together in unison, we can defeat the hellions and show that there is no reason for us to fight. This world is heading towards a path of destruction and only by working together can we avert this fate.”_

_Three days and three nights, Asura begged the seraphim to reconsider. It was on the fourth day that a seraph finally approached Asura. “Your heart and your intentions are pure.” the seraph said. “I will give you my assistance on one condition: If our land is as red as the moon on next summer’s eve, then I will sever any ties between us and end your life. I crave a world free of malevolence, but if that world is one where seraphim are naught but tools, then I condemn this world to destruction.”_

_“You have my word. I will do everything in my power to save this world, both humans and seraphim alike.” Asura smiled. He extended his hand, gasping when the seraph pulled out a dagger and faster than lightning, drew it across his hand. Blood oozed out of the cut and with no hesitation, the seraph made a quick cut on their own hand. They shook on bloodied hands as the seraph began to chant._

_“To ye born of mankind, I present myself to let a pact be forged,_ _  
_ _May my strength be thy blade that cleaves through the darkness of this world_   
To you, burdened with this task to free the world, I offer my name.”

_The seraph stared into Asura’s eyes, unblinking, unwavering. “Altul.”_

_A blinding white light enveloped the human and seraph as their powers became one and hearts connected under the pact._

_“May you lead us onward, Asura, to a world free of malevolence.”_

Sorey flipped the page of the Celestial Record. The next two pages had the pattern of a glyph carefully inked onto the paper. The same glyph that appeared when the seraph, Altul, forged a pact with the human Asura. So it was possible for a seraph to share their powers through a pact and connect their heart. It sounded quite romantic, if Sorey had to admit. He flipped to the next page, and the next.

_So began the journey of Asura, the Shepherd who would herd humanity to a better future along with the seraph Altul. Thus began a new era, the Dawn of Destiny, where hope was more than a forlorn wish. Where a human and seraph, together, would work to save the world._

Footsteps from outside the room startled Sorey into shoving the Celestial Record under his covers. He listened closely. As the minutes passed by with no knight barging into the room, he gradually relaxed, a yawn overtaking him. The moon was high in the sky and showed no signs of falling, but Sorey didn’t want to take the risk of pulling an all-nighter to read the next chapter of the Celestial Record. It could wait. He tucked the Celestial Record away and snuggled deeper into his covers.

 _Humanity’s light shines brightest in its darkest moments._ Indeed, it was a dark time now, but those in the past have always persevered and each and every time, they managed to get past it. He wouldn’t allow the turmoil shaking his world to prevent him from trying everything he could to help.

* * *

 Mikleo had never spent a night away from the castle and for that, he'd been thankful. As it turned out, he'd been missing out on the beauty of the outside world.

Windur was taking the first night shift, while Lucas snored, leaning against a rock with his sword clutched in his hands. A fire crackled at their campsite, accompanying the symphony of crickets chirping. Mikleo was leaning against a tree, Atakk on his lap. Idly, he stroked the normin as he stared at the sky. Perhaps it was just him, but the stars seemed brighter this night, as if they were lighting his kingdom’s path through the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have spring break off, thank goodness. I've recently started replaying Final Fantasy IX and I have no idea how I'd balance out schoolwork, writing and FFIX (along with any other priorities I'll have).
> 
> A shorter chapter now will have to do. Until next chapter, when we meet again ★


	13. Rayfalke Spiritcrest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so my dumbass forgot that Shion was supposed to be part of the expedition. eheheh.............. did anybody notice...?  
> I also forgot to post this link, where I got a lot of my Zesty timeline information from: http://kisechuu.tumblr.com/post/132045752912/heyo-ive-done-some-more-zestiria-world-guidance
> 
> By the by, we've reached 2K views...! I can't believe this fic grew so much and got so much attention. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone~ Now, enjoy~!

Never before had Sorey wanted to do chores so badly. Hunting, laundry, sweeping, name it. Hell, Sorey was willing to pick lint off of fabrics because at least that was doing something other than waiting around. At long last, the Elysians were granted more freedom. They could wander the castle, provided they stay away from the important rooms and the third floor and there was a set area directly outside the castle they could visit. As long as they remained within eyeshot of the knights, they were fine. Sorey had gone outside the castle, the first time in weeks, and there was nothing much to do.

There were people, yes, but nobody he could talk to. Everybody was busy with their own business and the buildings there, a general store and an inn, weren’t much entertainment. Sorey had taken to spending his spare time in the garden, reading or otherwise lazing about in the sun. For all the help the knights needed, so much that they had to send Mikleo to Rayfalke, they didn’t want any of Sorey’s help when he offered.

Currently, he was laying in the gardens. There was a little secluded path of grass behind some bushes Sorey took to escaping to. Two books sat beside him, though he couldn’t bring himself to read. Read, read,  _ read.  _ That’s all he’d been doing. Sorey rolled over onto his side, blades of grass tickling his nose. How useless of him, and after all that, “I want to help!” stuff he was saying, too.

Sorey thought about taking Mikleo’s tip and visiting the library, but the idea of being surrounded by books was more nauseating at this point. Boredom and loneliness was a dangerous, dangerous combo.

He couldn’t even talk about what he was reading. Ian and Morgan didn’t share his interests, Gramps was busy and, despite his best efforts, couldn’t stay focused. He didn’t debate like Mikleo did. How many days had it been since Mikleo left? He said it was a four day trip to Rayfalke. Sorey counted in his head. It had been about a week since he left. Even with delays, Mikleo should have made it to Rayfalke already.

Lucky him. Sorey never travelled as far as that before. On the bright side of things, his nightmares were becoming less frequent, though that was another sign of how low his standards had fallen. Sorey sighed and wished he could melt into the dirt. At least then, he’d be doing something.

* * *

 

_ Three days earlier… _

“Your Highness! Look! Look outside the window!” Atakk tugged at Mikleo’s shirt, excitedly pointing to the window. At first, Mikleo peeked out, then he stuck his entire head out the window. Ahead of the carriage, Rayfalke was in view. The entire mountain was barren, without a single speck of green, though its massive size more than made up for it. And Mikleo thought Ladylake’s castle was huge.

“We’re still some distance away,” Lucas called from the front. “It’ll be about another two hours or so until we reach the base of the mountain. Make sure you’re ready by then!” 

“I will be. Thank you, Lucas.” Mikleo went back to sitting down, although his eyes never left Rayfalke. Four days of being on the road, most of which were uneventful, gave Mikleo more than enough time to review what he had been told about the seraphim there. He’d memorized all his lines, all that was left to do was to present himself on stage to the seraphim of earth.

Simple enough in theory.

Two hours passed by like four, Rayfalke’s silhouette gradually growing larger and larger until its shadows blocked out even the sun. Once the carriage stopped, Mikleo was out and ready to leave before Lucas and Windur disembarked their horses. He was dressed in finer clothes — a single flowing cape bearing Ladylake’s crest opposed to his usual twin-tailed cape, jewels adorned his sleeves and chest, and he’d even swept away part of his bangs to reveal his circlet underneath, proof of his royal heritage — which felt quite out of place, if he had to be honest. Hopefully the seraphim wouldn’t take it as a challenge or being full of arrogance.

“Is everybody ready?” Mikleo asked. They all nodded. Atakk was walking, this time. It wouldn’t look good for Mikleo to have a normin using him as a chair. “I shall lead the way.”

Lailah had provided him with a rough map of Rayfalke, though it was all based on her memory. So far, Rayfalke was exactly as how Lailah described it. When did she say she last visited? It was a long while back. This was truly a place untouched by humans and time. How fitting for a seraph’s dwelling.

They barely made it to the foot of the mountain before a seraph jumped down from a ledge to stand in front of their path. From behind, Mikleo heard Windur summon his staff and wisely, Lucas kept his blade in his sheath, though Mikleo didn’t need to look to know that he had a hand on his sword’s handle. Mikleo bowed. “Hello. I am Prince Luzrov Rulay of Ladylake. I have come to speak with the seraphim of earth—”

“I don’t care.” The seraph said shortly. “As long as you don’t cause any damage around here, I couldn’t care less. But,” the seraph added, pointing at Lucas. “The human stays away. They’re not permitted on this mountain.”

Rule number one that Lailah had Mikleo memorize: don’t test the seraphim. “Lucas.” Mikleo said. “Wait for us by the carriage. You remember the signal, yes?”

Lucas shrugged. “Yeah, I do. Alright then, don’t mind me. You guys have fun.” He waved to Mikleo and the others, then gave a mock salute to the seraph. The seraph’s eyes narrowed and yes, maybe it was better that Lucas stayed behind.

“I apologize for that.” Mikleo said. “Will you allow us to pass?”

Begrudgingly, the seraph moved aside. With his chin held high, Mikleo marched into Rayfalke Spiritcrest. The ground was jagged, boulders and stones jutting out from the path, sending poor Atakk stumbling every few steps. Occasionally, Mikleo’s cape would catch on a stone and he’d have to tug it free.  _ Very professional of you,  _ he thought to himself.

Why, oh why, did the seraphim of earth need to reside on the top of the mountain? Better yet, why didn’t Mikleo request a shorter cape? Windur travelled without complaint, but it wasn’t soon before Atakk was gasping for breath. Without a word, Windur scooped up the normin. Atakk wasn’t dressed to climb mountains either, apparently. That made Mikleo feel a little better. 

Every so often, Mikleo would take a glance at the world below Rayfalke. The carriage was a mere dot on the ground and the trees looked as small as ants.  _ Wow.  _ Any higher, and Mikleo swore he’d be able to touch the clouds. Thankfully, the cold and wind did little to chill Mikleo. Another good reason for Lucas to stay below.

Mikleo scanned the map. “Just a little bit more,” he called out. A little bit more. His legs were beginning to grow sore. Rest sounded good right about now, but he was worried he’d overstay their visit. There was no sight of any seraphim so far, only the sensation of eyes on his back as he trekked up the mountain. Though he was a seraph himself, he felt unwelcomed.

“You must be the prince of Ladylake, huh.” A girl’s voice rang out from… somewhere. Mikleo wildly looked around. The voice sighed. “Up here, dummy.”

There was a tiny girl, shorter than Mikleo, standing on a ledge above him. She wore a fancy white dress with orange bows and ribbons, and was twirling an umbrella in her hands. An umbrella..!

“I am indeed the prince of Ladylake, Luzrov Rulay. Excuse me for asking, but are you the seraph Hephsin Yulind?” Lailah had said that Hephsin Yulind carried around an umbrella and held the appearance of a young girl. This same girl fit that description perfectly.

“Bingo.”

Ah, excellent! Mikleo bowed. With the way Hephsin Yulind was standing above him, it looked like she was royalty. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am indeed the prince of Ladylake, Luzrov Rulay. I have come under direct orders from Her Majesty Muse—”

“—To discuss something important with us.” Hephsin Yulind finished. “Yeah, yeah. We got your letter.”

“We? Do you mean your brother and yourself?”

She frowned. “Who else would I mean? You really are a dummy.”

Another voice, this one deeper joined. “Now, Edna, play nice.” In came to view another seraph that could only be Hephsin Yulind’s brother. He had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, but he was dressed in black and was a lot more taller than anyone Mikleo met. Pep talk time:  _ now is  _ not  _ the time to be intimidated, Mikleo,  _ he scolded himself. “You’re the prince, huh? About time you got here. Continue up the path a little more, we’ll meet you halfway.”

The siblings disappeared from view, though Mikleo caught bits of their conversation before it faded away. Hephsin Yulind was complaining, her brother, Ufemew Wexub, said something about being polite. He wasn’t wrong about that. It was wrong to judge someone based on first impressions, yes, however Hephsin Yulind seemed determined to change Mikleo’s views.

True to their word, the siblings were waiting just ahead on the path, in a clearing that had a free view of the land below. Hephsin Yulind was sitting on a rock, kicking her legs much like an impatient child, but he’d heard from Lailah that she was older than most seraphim, despite her appearance and behaviour. 

Mikleo bowed once more, Windur and Atakk copying him. With his eyes to the ground, he said, “I thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such a short notice. I am honoured to be in your presence, Hephsin Yulind, Ufemew Wexub.”

“As you should be.” Hephsin Yulind muttered.

Ufemew Wexub sighed. “There are no humans around here, you can skip the formalities. Call me Eizen, and this is Edna,” he said, ignoring the indignant ‘hey!’ coming from his sister.

“As you wish.” Mikleo rose. “My human name is Mikleo and this is Windur.”

“It is an honour.”

“The normin is Atakk.”

“Pleased to meetcha!”

Edna narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t realize normin were considered royalty in Ladylake.”

“They are not, though there is always a place for them in the castle.” Mikleo replied. “I am sorry if I appear rude, but our time is limited right now. Are you aware of the situation at Ladylake?”

Eizen leaned against a rock and crossed his arms. “We are, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

“I’ll keep it short. Ladylake is in a state of crisis. Malevolence has been running thick throughout the land and as I’m sure you’re aware, Elysia and Marlind have already fallen to the malevolence. We have lost one of our squadrons at Marlind but have been unable to gather the forces needed to search for survivors. That, and we have yet to apprehend the culprit behind those attacks.”

“And?”

“I, on behalf of Ladylake, request your assistance.” Mikleo pleaded. No response from either of the siblings. “I understand that this is bold of me to ask, but Ladylake is in grave danger. As things stand, soon, malevolence will overtake Ladylake and Pendrago is not too far off. We are unable to defend ourselves on our own. Please, I beg of you to consider this request.”

“Why should we help humans with problems they brought upon themselves?” Edna jumped down from her rock and tapped her foot in agitation. “Humans are so selfish. I don’t understand why you seraphim are wasting your time even protecting them.”

“It is our duty to protect Ladylake. Those humans in my kingdom are not to blame for the malevolence. It's those that bring chaos to this land that are to blame.”

“Like the Lord of Calamity?” Edna retorted. At the surprise on Mikleo’s face, she groaned. “What, you think we didn’t know about it? We’re hundreds of years older than you, you know, and we’ve seen it every time. The humans were the ones to create the Lord of Calamity with their malevolence and each time, they leave it to seraphim to clean up their mess.”

“Nonsense! The kingdom of Ladylake would be nothing without the help of humans who have built it and continue to defend it.”

“If the humans are so good at their job, why do you need our help?”

“Every human has their limits, just as seraphim do.” Mikleo grit his teeth. Over and over, he told himself  _ not  _ to break and start snarking back at Edna. “This is why we must work together to overcome our trials.”

“If we were to go to Ladylake—” Eizen started.

“Eizen!” Edna gasped. “You can’t seriously—”

Eizen raised his finger and Edna fell silent. “What would we do?” His gaze bore holes through Mikleo.

“Our main focus is searching for survivors at Marlind, a job left to humans as they are not as sensitive to malevolence like seraphim. If you were to offer us your help, you would be tasked with defending Ladylake against hellions. Knights that would normally be on patrol would then be free to leave and investigate Marlind.”

“And? What will the rest of you be doing?”

“Investigating the culprit behind the attacks. I will not give more information to the culprit’s identity here; that information is better left said within the castle’s walls. You know about the Lord of Calamity, but do you know how he was stopped?”

“King Michael sacrificed himself to seal the Lord of Calamity away.” Eizen answered. “Then your mother became queen.”

“Yes. The Lord of Calamity was not killed, he was only sealed away and currently, someone is tampering with the seal in an effort to bring back the Lord of Calamity.”

“Like I said, we’ve seen it happen over and over again.” Edna twirled her umbrella. “We help the humans and then what? They create another Lord of Calamity.”

“All the more reason why we need your help. History has repeated itself for hundreds of years and it is time to put a stop to this. If the Lord of Calamity comes back, there is no guarantee that we will be able to finish him off.” Mikleo said. “Once again, I beg of you to give us your help. If you need to, I can give you time to think over your decision but please, this isn’t just about my kingdom. We have already lost Camlann and now, Elysia. Marlind is suffering. For the sake of a better future, we must work together.”

The only sound was the harsh howl of the wind as Mikleo stared down on the siblings. Edna had turned her eyes to the land below, fingers toying with the handle of her umbrella. Eizen had his eyes shut and if he were any more still, Mikleo might have mistook him for a statue. Somewhere to his side, Mikleo could hear Atakk shuffling around under that helmet of his.

Minutes passed and at long last, Eizen sighed. Edna and Mikleo sharply looked up. “I’ll go with you.”

“What?! Eizen, you can’t be serious!” Edna said. She placed herself in between Eizen and Mikleo. “Do you want to become like a dog to the humans like those seraphim at Ladylake?”

“The malevolence is starting to make its way to Rayfalke. I can tell. Things are going to be worse than last time if we sit by and watch again.” Eizen was deceptively calm.

“But think of the amount of malevolence at Ladylake!”

“It’s a risk I have to take. The Lord of Calamity that Zaveid and I fought was weaker than Heldalf, and look what happened. If Heldalf comes back, nobody will survive. If Zaveid’s helping Ladylake, then it’s more serious than what we originally thought. I may as well help him.”

“Are you stupid?!”

“Mikleo.” Eizen sighed amidst his sister’s protests. “Care to give us some privacy? I’ll meet you in a second.”

Mikleo’s heart soared.  _ I’ll meet you in a second,  _ Eizen said. That confirmed he was going to join Mikleo back to Ladylake. He succeeded. He convinced Eizen to help..! It turned out to be easier than Mikleo prepared for, ah, but who was he to complain? “Of course. Thank you. Come, Windur, Atakk. Let us regroup with Lucas.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Coming!”

As they made their way down the mountain, the ground shook under Mikleo’s feet. These seraphim truly were powerful and now, one of them was willing to lend this power to Ladylake. The temptation to skip down the mountain was too high. The trek downwards was vastly easier and they made it back down to Lucas in record time. He raised his hand in greeting.

“Hey, Your Highness! How’d things go?”

As quickly as he could, Mikleo explained the situation alongside Windur, Lucas’ grin only growing bigger with each passing sentence. They didn’t have to wait long before Mikleo caught sight of Eizen walking down the mountain, alone.

“Hephsin Yulind will not be joining us?” Mikleo asked.

“No. It’s too dangerous for her.” Eizen said simply. “I can handle malevolence better than she can.”

That sounded familiar. Eizen would fit right in with the other seraphim in Ladylake. “Will she be alright on her own?”

Eizen looked back at the mountain. “Yeah. She’s upset about me leaving, but she’s strong. She’ll cope. When the malevolence goes down, I’ll think about asking her to join us.”

“Very well. Are the horses ready?” Mikleo said. Lucas nodded. “Let us embark without further delay, then. Ufemew Wexub, would you like to ride inside the carriage with me? I have a few questions for you.”

“Alright, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give you any answers.” Eizen warned. They made their way inside, Atakk choosing to sit with Lucas on his horse. Eizen sat across from Mikleo, elbows on his knees. “Before you ask me any questions, I want to make one thing clear. I’ll be working with you, but I walk my own path in life. Got it? If you give me an order I don’t agree with, I won’t be doing it.”

“So be it. Do you have any other conditions?”

“No.”

“Then, if you do not mind, I want to ask you about Zaveid.” Mikleo leaned forward in his seat as the carriage rocked, leading them away from Rayfalke Spiritcrest. From the top of the mountain, Edna watched the carriage roll away, a pendant clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

 

“His Highness has returned!”

Sorey nearly dropped the book in his arms. There were two knights were walking down the hallway, eagerly whispering to each other. Mikleo came back? Sorey counted the days in his head. He’d paid little attention to the passing days, though he knew that it was currently nearing dusk. Sure enough, when Sorey sped over to the garden and peeked over the wall, he saw the two knights who left with Mikleo leading the horses back into the stables. And, walking up the castle steps, nearly hiding Mikleo from view, was a tall, muscular man clad in black who looked more villainous than somebody to help. Ufemew Wexub, the knights called him. Mikleo returned, safe and sound. Sorey retreated back into the depths of the garden, into his little alcove-like area, his previous dilemma renewed: to talk to Mikleo and cure his loneliness or to continue distancing himself to protect Mikleo?

For better or for worse, Mikleo answered the question. He’d been lying down for a decent amount of time when a shadow passed over Sorey. Whe looked up, he caught Mikleo’s eyes. “Mikleo? How’d you know where I was?”

“I can see you quite clearly. What are you doing here?” Mikleo extended his hand to help Sorey up. He chose to stand on his own, brushing grass and dirt off his pants.

“Relaxing. It’s a nice spot.” Sorey said.

Mikleo reached over to pluck a twig out of Sorey’s hair. “I suppose. How have you been?”

“Oh, y’know. Reading.”

“Reading? That’s it?”

“...Yup.” Sorey said awkwardly. “I think my injuries have completely healed, according to Shion, but the knights aren’t letting me help that much. Say, wasn’t Shion supposed to join you on your expedition?”

“She stayed behind to help with Alisha and Enid, the two knights who worked under Lady Maltran.” Mikleo said. “Thankfully, we did not require her healing expertise. Would you like to hear about the expedition? I’d like to catch up with you. Ufemew Wexub isn’t the best at holding a conversation…”

“Oh, that sounds… great, but shouldn’t you be getting some rest?” Sorey stepped back. “It was a long journey. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

“I’m quite fine, actually. The others wouldn’t let me do any work, after all. You’re not busy, are you?”

“N-Not exactly, but I don’t want to bother you.”

“Sorey.” Mikleo chided. “I said I am fine, but are  _ you  _ alright? You’ve been acting strange, even before I left.”

“I’m fine, really! I think I’ve just been out in the sun for too long.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Sorey.”

Abort mission, this was  _ not  _ going the way Sorey planned. “I’m - I’m not—”

“You can tell me what’s wrong. I won’t tease you or anything.”

_ ‘I’m a human you’re a seraph I have something called malevolence and I don’t want to hurt you with it and it’s better if I stay away because you’re the prince and a seraph and if you’re caught with a human things might end up badly for you and I don’t want to see you get hurt’ _ ran through Sorey’s mind but all that came out was, “Okay.”

“Okay? What do you mean?”

“I know I can talk to you, but…”

“But?”

“It’s the malevolence,” slipped off Sorey’s tongue before he realized what was happening. He covered his mouth, but he was too late.

“Malevolence..?” Mikleo said, confused. Then, his eyes hardened and he reached over to Sorey and tugged him out of the bushes.

“Mikleo? What are you doing?”

“Come with me. We need to talk.”

* * *

 

Sorey felt like a child, sitting on Mikleo’s bed cross-legged, while he waited for Mikleo to return. He’d sat Sorey down, said, “Wait here.” and left his room. Panic rushed through his body as Sorey struggled to come up with a way to explain the malevolence to Mikleo and before he could stitch together one sentence, Mikleo was back, locking the door behind himself.

“Sorry about that. I went and told Lailah that I’d be resting in my room and asked her not to let anyone disturb me. So,” Mikleo said, his gaze sending shivers down Sorey’s spine. “What about the malevolence?”

Where should he start..? From the beginning seemed fit. Alright. Sorey took a deep breath. “You know about malevolence, right?”

“Naturally.”

“Remember when Lawrence and the others were arguing with you? And I stepped in?” Sorey said. Mikleo made a sound of agreement. “Right. Later that day I wanted to go searching for you and I went to the third floor.”

A groan. “Sorey… you didn’t. If you were caught…”

“I really wanted to talk to you! I wanted to ask you about some stuff and I heard you and Lai— Fethmus Mioma talking. About… the malevolence and stuff.”

Apparently Sorey didn’t catch himself fast enough, for Mikleo said, “Alright, you know Lailah’s human name. What else did you hear?”

“Sorry. I didn’t tell anybody else her name. I decided to eavesdrop because I was… well, curious. I wanted to hear you guys talk about the malevolence without worrying about hiding anything and I… I heard Lailah say that the malevolence was taking a toll on your body. She said that it was better if you stayed away from the humans,” Sorey babbled. Once he started, he found that the words spilled out with no effort whatsoever. “She said that the humans you were arguing with had malevolence, including me and… It’s dangerous for a seraph to go near a human with malevolence and that’s why I couldn’t spend time with you anymore. I didn’t want to hurt you and you’ll be safer if you stayed away from me. I was hurting you by being near you. I don’t hate you but I don’t want you to go through any pain because of me.”

Sorey bowed his head in shame. Mikleo opened and closed his mouth, with no words coming out. “Sorey,” he eventually said, slowly. “You were avoiding me because you didn’t want to taint me with malevolence?”

“You said that malevolence is bad for seraphim. Wouldn’t you be better off if you—”

“Sorey.” Mikleo sighed. “You’re an idiot.”

“Huh?”

“A noble one, but an idiot nonetheless. Do you know how malevolence is caused?” Mikleo sat on the bed next to Sorey, the mattress dipping under his weight. “It’s created by the impure, negative emotions of humans. Things like unchecked anger and any emotions that aren’t controlled or expressed healthily. Every human has a little bit of malevolence with them, but as long as they take care of their own emotions, then they can prevent it from turning into something dangerous to seraphim.”

“Every human has malevolence..? So it’s always dangerous for seraphim to be with humans?”

“Not quite. It’s only large amounts of malevolence that affect seraphim. Sorey… what were you feeling around that time? There must have been a reason to why you had malevolence.”

And once again, the words were stuck in Sorey’s throat. “I remember feeling sad and confused. I thought that you were hiding things from me and I was feeling useless because I wasn’t doing anything. I’m still not doing anything. When I heard that I had malevolence, I started… hiding it from you. I thought you wouldn’t take it well.”

“You were avoiding me because you didn’t want to hurt me and that isolation ending up hurting you. You were lying to yourself about your own feelings and that’s what caused the malevolence.” Mikleo murmured. Wow, he was better at describing Sorey than he ever could.

“Yeah. You said it. I thought I was protecting you, but that was only causing more malevolence…” Sorey dropped his head into his hands. “I really am an idiot.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know what malevolence truly was. I can’t believe that you were suffering all this time because of a simple misunderstanding… I’m sorry, Sorey, I should have noticed something was up and been more honest with you.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I should have cleared this up with you instead of ignoring you.”

“We’re just going to end up apologizing over and over to each other, aren’t we?” Mikleo said with a tilted smile. “How about we just start over? I’ll try being more honest with you and in turn, you start being more honest with me.”

“I’ll try my best, Mikleo.” Sorey leaned in for a hug and stopped. “I’m not gonna hurt you if I hug you, right?”

Mikleo rolled his eyes. “You’ve never hurt me before, Sorey.”

“Got it!” Sorey engulfed Mikleo in a bear hug as Mikleo squawked in surprise, flailing his arms around for a bit before resting his hands on Sorey’s back. “I know you said not to apologize anymore, but I’m sorry for avoiding you. I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now can you let go of me? I think you’re crushing my lungs.” Mikleo sounded annoyed, but Sorey knew that was his way of showing affection when things got sappy.

“You’re sure that I’m not hurting you? You’re pretty tiny.” Sorey teased.

“Yes, I am sure. You’re not hurting me with your malevolence, either. I can’t feel a thing.”

“Really?”

“Really. I just came from one of the purest places in the land. I’d definitely feel it if you were malevolent.”

“A pure place? You mean Rayfalke Spiritcrest?” Sorey’s eyes lit up.

“That’s the one. Care to hear about the expedition?” Mikleo said smoothly. 

“You bet!”

Mikleo’s own eyes sparkled with life as he recited the details of his expedition, answering all of the many questions Sorey would fire at Mikleo. He hadn’t spoken to somebody so freely in what may as well have been years and Sorey found himself, once again, apologizing to Mikleo and this time, thanking him for being so quick to forgive him. Mikleo had waved his hand, “Think nothing of it,” he said and he went on with his story.

How he met Ufemew Wexub and Hephsin Yulind, his experience with the wandering seraph Zaveid, the hellions he fought beside Ufemew Wexub and his powerful earth artes, the list went on and on. Soon, the only light in Mikleo’s room came from a candle’s orange glow, the sun having left the skies along with Sorey’s stupid worries about the malevolence.

He’d spent ages anguishing over the pain he wasn’t even causing Mikleo and it was all solved in a matter of one conversation. Mikleo was certainly telling the truth about the malevolence. Telling him about his feelings and letting it all out after keeping them locked inside for so long was a breath of fresh air. He caught himself smiling without trying and he kept edging closer and closer to Mikleo until their knees were touching, right at the end of Mikleo’s story. Stupid of him to think that they were better off separated. 

“We’ve been here a long while, haven’t we?” Sorey looked out the window. “It’s pretty late. And I haven’t even told you about what I did.”

“I thought all you did was read when I was gone.”

“I read through a lot of the Celestial Record on my own.” Sorey huffed. “I learned a lot of new things you should learn about. I guess I’ll need to save it for tomorrow, though.”

“Why not stay here for the night?”

Sorey scanned Mikleo, who was not joking in any way, shape or form. “Sleep in your room for the night? I’m tired, but I can make it down to my room.”

“It’ll be a… what do the humans call it? A sleepover? I want to hear about what you read in the Celestial Record.”

It’d be a lie if Sorey would say he didn’t want to stay over and he was done with lying to Mikleo. “I guess I can stay here the night. But, there’s no place to sleep.”

“My bed is more than large enough for the two of us. If you don’t want to stay, you can say so. No need to make excuses.”

“No, I do want to stay! But,” wasn’t it something intimate when humans shared a bed? Heat pooled in Sorey’s stomach, but he willed it down. This didn’t mean anything. Mikleo didn’t was simply unaware of some human things. “What will I say to the others?”

“I’ll handle it,” Mikleo said, and he slipped out of the room, leaving no room for further arguments. Not that Sorey would have argued. He wouldn’t have passed an opportunity to spend more time with Mikleo, not after they had been separated for so long.

Besides, Mikleo’s bed was really soft. Like a cloud, Sorey thought. He shut his eyes, savoring the touch of silken sheets.

When Mikleo came back, Sorey was fast asleep.

_ Searing heat snapping at his arms and legs _

_ Bricks and wood crashing down trapped underneath a pile of debris _

_ Red blood, red flames, red eyes staring him down as he struggled to climb his way out of the wreckage with legs that refused to move _

_ Mad laughter rising above the crackling of the fire _

_ Teasing him, taunting him watching him struggle _

“—rey?”

_ The flames grew larger, stronger, he was choking on the smoke, struggling to breathe blocking his throat he couldn’t climb out on his own he was screaming why couldn’t anybody hear him his cries for help were growing weaker somebody please help me help me help— _

“Sorey!”

Sorey opened his eyes to a dark room, white hair and violet eyes inches from his own face. He gasped for air and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. The room, Mikleo’s room, was cold, so cold, but the fire’s heat from his dream still clung to his skin and Sorey kicked off the covers placed on him, savoring the cool breeze passing through the open window.

Sorey was thankful for the darkness outside, the darkness that hid the mountains he’d seen smoke rising from… how long ago? How long ago was it that Sorey’s life turned upside-down?

From the corner of his vision, Mikleo handed him a glass of water which Sorey finished in one gulp. Mikleo gently took the glass from his hands and set it on his bedside table, waiting until Sorey’s breaths returned to normal before asking, “Are you alright?”

Sorey wiped sweat from his forehead. “Did I wake you up?”

“You were thrashing about terribly. It would have been impossible for me to stay asleep. Another bad dream?”

“I think nightmare is a better word.” Sorey gave a shaky laugh. “It’s the same thing every time. There’s always a fire and this laugh I hear. Sometimes it’s Elysia and other times it’s a village that I’ve never seen before. I’ve only seen it when it was burning in my nightmares. I thought they were finally beginning to go away. Guess not.”

The look on Mikleo’s face could only be described as pity. “...I’m sorry. I wish you didn’t have to suffer through everything that happened.”

“I thought we agreed not to apologize anymore.” Sorey tried his best to smile. “It’s alright. It’s not your fault. I’ll be fine.”

“Do you need me to do anything for you?”

“No, there’s not really anything you can do.” Sorey paused. “Just…”

“Yes?”

“Stay close to me tonight?” Sorey whispered, a plea more than a question. Mikleo’s arms were around Sorey in an instant.

“Of course,” Mikleo said and for the first time since his nightmares started, Sorey fell back asleep again, into a dreamless sleep, his back pressed up against Mikleo’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :]


	14. Twenty Years Ago

The harsh sunlight over Mikleo’s eyes was the first thing he noticed when he woke up.

The second was the cushiony warmth of his bed, a welcome feeling after so long on the road.

The third thing he noticed was that he wasn’t alone. Mikleo flung himself off his bed, landing with a solid _thud_ on the ground, dragging down his pillows with him. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, regarding the mysterious lump in his bed. It was another minute before his drowsiness finally vanished and he realized that no, it was not a stranger in his bed that snuck in during the night.

It was Sorey, sleeping peacefully despite the ruckus Mikleo made. His hair was sticking up in every direction possible. Mikleo tugged at a strand of his own hair. He wasn’t that different. Sorey’s chest rose and fell smoothly. Peacefully. Sorey had slept through the rest of the night without any nightmares and Mikleo struggling to decide on whether to wake him up or not. He wasn’t needed anywhere, but Sorey may have something to do. He prodded at Sorey’s shoulder.

“Hey, Sorey? It’s me, Mikleo.”

Sorey moaned in response, turning over to bury his face in the pillows, still stuck in the clutches of sleep.

“Sorey. You need to get up now.”

“Mik...leo? What are you doing here?” Sorey mumbled into the pillow.

“ _You_ are the one in _my_ bed.” Mikleo pointed out. Sorey lifted his head, patted the bed sheets, then flipped over onto his back.

“Oh,” he yawned. “I forgot I was sleeping in here. Good morning?”

“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Much better than how I’ve slept in a long time.” Sorey sat up and rubbed at his eyes. “Thanks for letting me stay here— huh?” Sorey stopped rubbing his eyes and squinted at Mikleo instead. His jaw dropped open and then he laughed, slumberous no more.

“Sorey? What are you laughing about? Is there something on my face?” Mikleo scrubbed at his nose, giving his clothes a quick check to see if there was anything strange. Sorey, red-faced and all, shook his head.

“No… no, it’s not that.” Sorey hid his grin behind his hand. “It’s… your _hair._ It’s all over the place. I’ve never seen it like that before.”

“You’re no better!” Mikleo threw a pillow to Sorey’s face. “Have a look at yourself in a mirror before you make fun of my hair!”

“Okay, okay.” Sorey raised his hands in a surrender pose. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Late enough for you to get out of bed. You can tell me about the Celestial Record later today. I’m taking Lailah’s suggestion on having a day to myself to rest so I have plenty of time.” Mikleo said. “Even so, you should hurry. Somebody might grow suspicious of your whereabouts.”

“Didn’t you say that you’d handle it? What did you do?”

Mikleo smirked. “You’ll see.”

In hindsight, he should have expected a pillow to be thrown at him.

* * *

 

Eizen was gone when Mikleo left the third floor with Sorey (after making sure that there was nobody to notice Sorey, of course). “He wanted to visit Heldalf’s seal first,” Muse told Mikleo. “He left alone, but I am sure he can handle himself.”

Though Mikleo missed the castle, he missed the streets of Ladylake even more. With a hood over his head and far less lavish clothing, Mikleo made his way through the streets. He caught wind of people whispering rumors about Eizen, who’d strode past without concealing his identity. Most of them were positive, but there were those who were worried that Eizen would only cause more havoc.

He’d never been able to get used to crowds before, but after so much time away, he could see why people like Sorey enjoyed it so much. He decided to pay a visit to the cathedral, quiet as usual, but filled with more people than Mikleo would have expected at such an early time.

Less surprising was Lailah’s presence at the very front of the cathedral, fervently praying. Mikleo removed his hood and, in silence, took his place beside Lailah and clasped his hands together.

_O divine Empyreans, hear my plea. Please, give us the strength we need to vanquish the darkness of this world._

When Mikleo finished, Lailah was watching him. “Thank you for joining me,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to be awake so early.”

“I suppose it’s a habit of mine. What were you praying for?”

“I would assume it was the same thing for you,” Lailah smiled. “I hope that with Eizen, we can begin fighting back against the hellions."

“How is Eizen? I hope the malevolence isn’t too much for him.”

“He said, ‘I’ve had worse.” and left to go to Heldalf’s seal. He’s strong and he has encountered a previous Lord of Calamity before. This malevolence may seem like nothing to him.”

“That also means that his previous encounter has weakened him and made him prone to malevolence.”

“Perhaps. A Lord of Calamity is quite dangerous to be around.”

“That reminds me… Lailah, Eizen said that he was willing to help us partly because he faced a previous Lord of Calamity before alongside a seraph named Zaveid… and that Zaveid was already working with Ladylake.”

“Oh, did he tell you anything else about Zaveid?” Lailah gave nothing away in her expression or tone, as always.

“I met Zaveid myself, while travelling to Rayfalke.”

Lailah paused, then groaned. “Oh, Zaveid… he didn’t try anything reckless, did he?”

“No. He showed up and said some cryptic things, then left. Oh, that’s right.” Mikleo thought for a moment. “He told me to tell you and my mother that he was ‘keeping true to his word.’”

“I see.” Lailah said. “I asked Zaveid to watch over you while you were going to Rayfalke and specifically asked him to not interact with you. I should have expected him to push the rules.”

“So you have asked Zaveid for help? The wandering seraph?”

“Did I mention already that Muse and I requested the help of other seraphim to watch over Heldalf’s seal?” Lailah asked. Mikleo nodded. “Zaveid was the first one we went to. Of course, it took a while to convince him, but we managed to do it. We meant to tell you earlier…”

“But there were more important things to worry about. I didn’t tell anybody about Zaveid. Atakk saw him, but I instructed him to stay quiet.”

“Thank you, Mikleo. The wandering seraph still doesn’t have the best reputation but I can assure you, Zaveid is completely trustworthy.”

“He certainly seems shifty.”

“That’s just his personality. He tries to act cool, but he’s a softie inside.” Lailah giggled. “He’ll deny it every time.”

“I would imagine him to. Lailah, are you busy right now?”

“Mikleo,” Lailah scolded. “I thought you said you were going to take a break.”

“I-I will!” Oh, Lailah knew him too well. “I was only curious about what happened since I was gone.”

“I suppose it won’t hurt to fill you in.” Lailah said. “Though there isn’t much that you missed.”

She launched into a brief explanation of all that occured while Mikleo was en route to Rayfalke. She’d organized a squad of knights to investigate Marlind, though they were keeping the progress slow and careful. Pendrago offered to send knights of their own and they were waiting for those reinforcements before they would attempt to enter Marlind itself with the blessing of seraphim to protect them from the worst of the malevolence.

“We haven’t found any more members of Lady Maltran’s squad, but we’ve only gone so far. I’m sure that we’ll be able to find some answers as we go deeper.” Lailah finished. “I think I got everything. Oh! I almost forgot. Alisha and Enid are doing quite fine. Enid has resumed some of her duties and Alisha tried to, but I insisted she stay in bed for a little while longer. Her injuries are mostly healed, but I want to make sure.”

“That’s good.” Mikleo said absentmindedly. Alisha needed her rest, he thought as he recalled the state she was once in. Recovery was the only thing Alisha should be focused on, physically and mentally. From what she said about her encounter with that hellion at Marlind, she definitely needed a break. _Wait._ “Lailah,” Mikleo gasped. “I forgot to tell you before I left: I spoke to Alisha to hear about what happened at Marlind from her and her version of the events that occured didn’t match up with Enid’s.”

Lailah was untouched by Mikleo’s outburst. “I noticed. I spoke to Alisha shortly after you left. There is no evidence to support either of their claims, so we cannot say who is lying and who is telling the truth, but we’ve been keeping a close watch on them.”

Mikleo released a breath. “Thank you, Lailah. I can’t believe something as important as that slipped my mind…”

“You had other responsibilities, Mikleo, it was only a small mistake.”

“I can’t afford to keep making small mistakes.” Mikleo muttered. Some ‘prince’ he was. “I don’t know why one of them is lying, but it could have been for malicious reasons. We were lucky my mistake didn’t hurt anybody or anything.”

“You’re too harsh on yourself.” Lailah said. “You should be more lax with yourself. You can start by enjoying your day off. No buts!” she added, effectively cutting Mikleo off. He shut his mouth and placed his hands on his hips. “I do not want to see you doing work today. You deserve to rest, after your hard work at Rayfalke. Go on!”

Mikleo was ushered out of the cathedral and out onto the streets. There was no reason to hide himself, when Lailah was walking next to him. The streets were quieter and people moved out of the way for them, leaving behind the usual stir of Ladylake Mikleo was a part of only this morning.

Protecting Ladylake was his most important duty but on days like these, he found it too hard to connect with his own citizens. It was like he wasn’t a part of them, he was only their sword and shield against the malevolence.

If Sorey was the prince, if he’d been born a seraph, would he be any different? His smile and contagious optimism certainly made him popular back in Elysia, or so Mikleo heard. Being a seraph had its perks, yes, but sometimes, Mikleo wished he could have been a human — stayed a human? — if only to experience the world like everybody else.

* * *

 

Mikleo and Lailah split when they entered the castle after reassuring Lailah, yes, I’ll take a moment to rest, I won’t push myself, Lailah, I’ll be _fine._ Upon going to the third floor of the castle, Muse tried to give him the same lecture. Thankfully, she kept it brief and Mikleo was free to go into his bedroom, where Sorey was sitting on the floor, surrounded by books. He showed no surprise to see Mikleo enter and waved cheerfully.

“Hey, Mikleo! The knights weren’t there, as you said. I only managed to sneak in about half of the books you gave me,” Sorey motioned to the mess around him. “ _But,_ I brought the Celestial Record.” He brandished the worn book and, Mikleo noticed, his bookmark was farther inside than it was when Mikleo first gave it to Sorey.

“You’re _sure_ nobody saw you?”

“Yep! Come, sit down,” he pushed away some books to make room for Mikleo. “I have a lot to talk to you about.”

“I know I’m not busy, but what about you? Does Zenrus know where you are?”

“Nope! He’s helping around the castle, mostly organizing the relations with Pendrago and stuff like that. He’s really trusted around here, isn’t he?”

“It appears so.” Mikleo sat, cross-legged, next to Sorey and pulled the nearest book open. “You finished reading all of these books?” He flipped through the pages. “This is no quick read.”

“I told you, I had a lot of time to read. I even re-read some of these a couple of times.”

“Didn’t I say you could visit the library and find some more books? I remember offering to take you… there…” Mikleo stopped. He offered to take Sorey to the library and he refused. In hindsight, the signs that Sorey was avoiding him was obvious. “Never mind, it’s alright. We can visit it some other time. For now, I want to hear about what you read.”

“Right.” Sorey opened the Celestial Record to a marked page. “It’s not the happiest thing, admittedly.”

“History isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

“I’ll give you a quick summary of the important parts.” Sorey steeled himself. “The part about the first cooperation of seraphim and humans.”

“The first _written_ cooperation between seraphim and humans.” Mikleo corrected without thinking. Sorey nudged him. “Alright, fine, I’m sorry! What were you saying?”

“There was a seraph — it didn’t say what kind — that was protecting a village from hellions. The villagers accepted the seraphim and asked the seraph to stay behind. So it did. It casted a domain over the village and protected it from malevolence. But other humans didn’t trust the seraph and later on, the village. They thought the humans were going to take over their settlements.”

Mikleo pursed his lips. “And I presume the other seraphim were staying out of this. This… doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s… not. The village got attacked from other humans. There was this whole war and all, between the humans and that one seraph. And, well… there was a lot of malevolence.”

“As to be expected.”

“The villagers didn’t… they couldn’t fight back, even with the seraph on their side. They were all killed.” Sorey drew his knees to his chest and looked everywhere but at the Celestial Record and Mikleo. “The seraph’s domain was full of malevolence.”

Sorey quieted and Mikleo prayed Sorey wouldn’t keep talking. Did it matter? He already knew what happened next. “The seraph turned into a dragon,” Mikleo whispered. Every seraph’s worst nightmare. The seraph’s love for its village was used against it, turned to grief and that overtook the seraph’s heart.

“...Yeah.” Sorey flipped to a page with a crude drawing of a dragon. Mikleo had seen dragons before. After Muse explained to him what dragons were as a child, his curiosity led him to the darkest depths of the castle library, where he flipped through pages of books heavier than himself in an effort to discover more information about dragons. Those pictures gave him nightmares and this one almost seemed no different.

It wasn’t a question. This was something that _could_ happen to Mikleo. He loved Ladylake, perhaps as much as the seraph of the past did. If it were to be destroyed before his own eyes, his own people slaughtered in front of him, would he, too, be overcome with grief and turn into a dragon?

“Seraphim turn to dragons if there is too much malevolence?” Sorey asked hesitantly.

“Sorey, you are of no danger to me. I’m not sure even the malevolence at Marlind would be enough to turn a seraph into a dragon. Extensive amounts of malevolence, accumulated over years and years and a seraph’s own willpower — or lack thereof — is what creates a dragon. If a seraph succumbs to their impure emotions, like this one did, then… Sorey, what happened next?” Anything to get away from the subject of dragons.

Sorey, kind as always, dropped the subject of dragons. “That began the first war between humans and seraphim. The seraphim blamed the humans for the malevolence and the humans blamed the humans for creating the dragon and interfering with their lives.”

“What..? Why would those humans be foolish enough to attack seraphim? Their grief truly was that strong…”

“There was a man named Asura. He wanted to save the world. He went to the Empyreans’ Throne and begged the most powerful seraphim there for help. It didn’t work. He offered to make a pact between himself, a human, and the seraphim there so he could gain enough power to vanquish the malevolence. It took some time, but he managed to convince a seraph named Altul to help him.”

“Then?”

“They made a pact.” Sorey said simply. He skipped ahead a few pages. On one of the pages, there was an insignia that seemed somewhat familiar to Mikleo. He didn’t have time to question it as Sorey spoke again. “Asura, the Shepherd. That’s what the book called him. He and Altul were the saviours of the world, but there was somebody called the Lord of Calamity that rose up against him. Their main goal was to defeat the Lord of Calamity.”

“The Lord of Calamity…” Mikleo said. “That was the era where the first Lord of Calamity appeared..? And there was a ‘Shepherd’ to defeat it…”

“Do you know what the Lord of Calamity is?”

“It’s just as the name suggests. A being that emits great malevolence, whose only goal is to bring chaos to the world.”

“You said that was the ‘first’ one. How many more were there?” Sorey fixated Mikleo with a stare.

“I… don’t know.” Mikleo answered. How long ago was this era? It was far before Lailah was born, far before Eizen and Edna were born. Rayfalke Spiritcrest may not have even existed back then. Heldalf became a Lord of Calamity and vanished in only so many years. Hundreds of thousands of years left time for countless Lord of Calamities. “Many, I am sure, but I don’t know the exact number.”

“Do you know when was the last one?”

Approximately twenty years ago. Heldalf, once the second-hand man to the previous ruler of Ladylake, King Michael. Muse’s brother and Mikleo’s uncle. Sealed away by Michael. Is currently trying to be freed. He destroyed your original hometown, Sorey. Yours and mine. Zenrus’, too. He killed our biological parents and my mother’s brother.

_Mikleo. You are not to tell anybody about this. Not a single person._

Zenrus’ wavering voice rang clear in Mikleo’s ears. Don’t tell Sorey. Keep it a secret from him. This information is not yours to tell. I will tell him in due time. Another voice, however, drowned out Zenrus’. His own.

_How about we just start over?_

_I’ll try being more honest with you and in turn, you start being more honest with me._

Sorey promised and he kept true to his word. Now it was Mikleo’s turn. “Sorey,” he leaned forward, staring straight into Sorey’s eyes. Taken aback, Sorey seemed to fall backwards, would have fallen, if he weren’t frozen by Mikleo’s gaze. “I’m going to tell you something extremely important about the past. It’s going to be hard to hear. Do you think you can handle it?”

“Is it okay for you to tell me?”

“No, according to others. But to me, it is. You deserve to know, after all, as much as I did, considering how you’re a part of this story.” Mikleo closed the Celestial Record, pushed it away. “The last Lord of Calamity appeared about twenty years ago.”

Answering Sorey’s questions all the way, Mikleo reiterated the story Muse and the others told him. Heldalf’s past, Ladylake’s past and King Michael who, Mikleo knew, Sorey didn’t know much about. But, when he got to the part about Camlann, Mikleo abruptly stopped. What was he going to say? You were born in Camlann, Sorey, and I was too, then Heldalf’s supporters torched it. I died there and became a seraph while you were taken in by Zenrus.

“Mikleo..? You alright?” Sorey said. Oh, was he silent for that long?

“There was once a village on the mountains, like Elysia.” Mikleo started. Sorey shifted in his spot. “It was called Camlann and you know how much Heldalf hated Ladylake. He wanted to sabotage Ladylake so he attacked Camlann. Actually, it was his supporters that did it. They burned the village down.”

“Just like Elysia…” Sorey said hoarsely. He dropped his gaze to the floor, his jaw clenched and hands balled tightly into fists. Mikleo didn’t need to see to know that Sorey was digging his fingernails into his skin.

“...Yes, just like Elysia. But, Camlann was farther than Elysia, so by the time Ladylake’s forces got there, most of it was destroyed. Heldalf was there and a fight broke out. Heldalf was… too powerful so Michael sacrificed himself to seal Heldalf away.”

“That was how King Micheal died..? I knew he died in battle, but I didn’t know he became a seal. I’m sorry, Mikleo.”

“It was for his kingdom, as my mother said.”

“...How am I a part of all this?”

“Remember when we were chatting in the garden as I was taking you to see Zenrus? It happened just a short while after the attack on Elysia. I told you that I didn’t know who my father was and you told me that you didn’t know who your parents were.”

“Gramps told me that they died when I was a baby and that was when he found me and brought me in.”

“...Yes. Sorey, they… I’m sorry, your parents…” The words jumbled in Mikleo’s throat, coming out in crude, broken phrases. “I was told this entire story by my mother, Lailah and Zenrus. Zenrus told me himself that your parents died in Camlann’s fire.”

“They… I was born in Camlann?”

“That’s what Zenrus said. He once lived in Camlann, too and that was how he found you. You, somehow, survived the fire and…”

“So you mean to say that… all this time… I’ve been exploring the ruins of my own birthplace?” Sorey said weakly. “I didn’t think much of those ruins on the mountain. Zenrus told me to stay away from them and now I understand why. My parents… they were killed because of the Lord of Calamity, along with my home…”

“...I’m sorry.”

Sorey didn’t speak for a moment. “...No, it’s alright. It happened in the past. We can’t do anything now and I’m happy that I have Zenrus. All we can do is make sure no other baby loses their parents. What happened after Micheal sealed Heldalf?”

“Zenrus left with you to Elysia, while Muse took me back to Ladylake. As Michael’s sister, she was next in line for the throne and—”

“Muse took you back to Ladylake?”

Damn. He wasn’t careful enough. It wasn’t like Mikleo could avoid it forever but saying it outloud made it more real when Mikleo wished it was nothing more than a bad dream. “...Yes, she did. I told you before, that same day, that seraphim don’t have blood relations like humans do. Muse and Michael are siblings, though they have no parents.”

“So how were you born?”

“There are two ways for a seraphim to be born.” Mikleo repeated his mother’s words. “One of the ways involves a human turning into a seraph. Sometimes, it’s possible for a human to turn into a seraph after their death.”

Sorey’s eyes widened, his eyebrows disappearing under his messy bangs. “You… don’t tell me, Mikleo…”

“I was born in Camlann, just like you. And unlike you, I died as a baby there. But, perhaps due to Michael’s seal, I was somehow turned into a seraph. My mother found me as a baby and seeing that I was a seraph, took me to Ladylake.”

“You’ve… died before.” Sorey reached out to touch Mikleo, with trembling fingers, like he was afraid they’d pass right through him. When they didn’t, Sorey opted to keep his hand on Mikleo’s arm, gripping Mikleo’s arm as if to prove to himself that he was here, still here, alive.

“But I’m living now, just as a seraph.”

“We were born near the same time.”

“Yes.”

“In the same village.”

“Yes.”

“Mikleo... think of the possibilities. We could have grown up together in Camlann. You could have been a human.”

“Or perhaps you would have been the one to turn into a seraph and become royalty. Do you think we still would have met if things turned out differently, Sorey?”

“I’d like to think so. Maybe it’s a part of fate.”

“You believe in fate?” Mikleo scoffed.

“After this? Definitely. Maybe we were destined to meet. We were supposed to grow up together, then we got separated and there was no way a human from a mountain village and a prince seraph would meet—”

“—Only for us to meet in some abandoned ruins.” Mikleo finished. “Maybe it is fate.”

“I wonder why Gramps didn’t tell me about this.”

“Perhaps he was waiting for the right time. He knows we’re friends already, yes? You can tell him I told you and ask him yourself.”

“I think… yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I think I’ll do that.” Sorey flopped onto his back, right onto _The History of Eldrant: Its Rise to Power_. Unperturbed by his “pillow”, Sorey stretched, much like a cat. “Thanks for telling me all this, Mikleo.”

“No problem. I hope it wasn’t too hard on you.”

“It’s definitely hard to hear, but I’m glad I heard it from you. It’s nice to know about my own past. I’d still like to hear about it from Gramps, though.”

“If you want to talk to him right now, you can. I won’t stop you.”

“...I’ll do it before I forget any of what you told me. But, I don’t think it’ll be easy to forget.” Sorey sat back up, straightening his clothes. “Say, did you tell your mother about… us?”

“I was waiting for the right time. First, I didn’t know about my past, then the issue with the malevolence and Rayfalke and all that made me forget to tell my mother. I want to do it, though. We’ve put it off for too long.”

“We can do it together, if you want. It’ll be simple. Say we're friends! Exactly like that.”

“Friends… I think she’ll take it well, especially knowing that she is aware of our origins. I’ll see if I can find her later today and if not today, tomorrow. Let’s do it as soon as possible.”

“You’re the best, Mikleo! Alright, I’m gonna go find Gramps now.” Sorey gave him a thumbs up and made to leave Mikleo’s room. His hand was turning the doorknob when Mikleo cleared his throat. “What is it?”

“You’re the human here. I’m the seraph.” Mikleo reminded Sorey. “We’re in the third floor of the castle, where humans aren’t allowed.”

“...Of course. That totally didn’t slip my mind or anything. Wanna lead the way?”

* * *

 

 _We’ll tell Mikleo’s mother that we’re friends_ , Sorey thought. _Mikleo is certain she’ll be fine with our friendship._ He wholly believed that their meeting was fate. It had to be, there was no other explanation. A coincidence wasn’t good enough, _it was fate._ Muse _had_ to agree with that.

Confidence told him that everything would turn out well. Even so, there was a still a mysterious sense of disappointment that bloomed in Sorey’s chest when he heard Mikleo say, ‘friends.’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not go the way I planned. Oops? I wanted to throw in a bit of more action, but I decided it was best to keep this redundant part all in one bit (I'll admit, this isn't one of my proudest chapters, I kind of had a "get it over with" mindset which is... Not Good. Eeep, protip, don't write when you're feeling ill. Sorry if the quality is... off.)
> 
> I wanted to show Mikleo and Sorey's individual reactions to the Celestial Record and Camlann, respectively, and I hope it wasn't *too* repetitive. Don't worry, there'll be more action later in the next chapter... ~


	15. Malevolent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey-o~
> 
> It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, sorry. I've been lazy with writing and turned my attention to other stories, instead. I think I slightly got lazy with this because I've been writing it non-stop for months on end now and needed a tiny break, and then life happened and I couldn't get any writing done. That's my explanation but I also want to make mention: I have not and will not abandon this story! I'll finish it, guaranteed. I just had to take a break, is all.
> 
> Anyways, I'm already writing the next chapter (thank you, snowday. Who would have guess that there'd be a snowday in the middle of April?) so my usual "weekly" updating schedule should be back to normal. Enjoy!~

“Gramps..? What are you doing?” Sorey certainly didn’t expect to see Gramps leaving the room he was staying in with some of his personal belongings in hand. His bed behind him was smooth, free of wrinkles and untouched, like it had never been home to a person before.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you since yesterday. Where have you wandered off to this time?”

“Sorry, I was hanging out with Mikleo. Did you need me for something?”

Zenrus shook his head. “I should have known. Come with me, I have to show you something.” He walked past Sorey, who followed his lead without a second thought. “There is no telling when Elysia will be rebuilt and we cannot stay in the infirmary forever. Her Majesty has kindly offered us both rooms in the castle due to my relations within.”

“What? That’s amazing! But what about the others?”

“They’ll be sent out to houses with available space within Ladylake. The knights need the infirmary at a time like this, but Her Majesty  _ has  _ offered some space in the castle for those that needed it badly.”

“Her Majesty is really generous, huh?” Sorey said. As expected of the mother of Mikleo. “Um, does that mean I have a place here, too?”

“Until the current issue with Glenwood is resolved. Only then will we be able to go home.”

Sorey’s shoulders slumped. “I hope so.”

Zenrus patted Sorey on the shoulder. “Come, let me show you to our rooms.”

Turned out, their rooms were on the second floor, dangerously close to the third floor’s stairwell. Sorey’s room was opposite to Zenrus and nearly a mirror replicate to Mikleo’s room. It was a lot less roomy and with a lot less personal belongings, though. Zenrus’ was the same, though he’d already brought all of his stuff to his room with the help of knights  _ (“Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I’m useless!” Zenrus had complained to Sorey).  _

Sorey was only one floor away from what would have been his bedroom had things turned out a little differently. The thought was strange and evidently, it showed on his face for once they were back in Zenrus’ bedroom, he shut the door and rounded in on Sorey. “Alright, tell me what’s wrong. There’s something on your mind.”

“That obvious..?” Sorey rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s actually about Mikleo. We spent a lot of time catching up with each other and…”

Narrowed eyes, not a good sign. “And?”

“Don’t get mad at him, but he told me about… Camlann. My homeland.” Sorey said. “He knew he wasn’t supposed to but he told me because he thought I deserved to know. ...Don’t I?”

“How much did he tell you?” Zenrus asked. He looked neither surprised nor annoyed. Inquisitive, if Sorey had to guess.

“Everything. About how Heldalf, the Lord of Calamity died — no, got sealed away, sorry. He told me how you were from Camlann too and how Mikleo and I were both babies, but because he died and turned into a seraph, he was brought to Ladylake while you took me to Elysia. Is that why you’ve always told me to avoid exploring those ruins? ...Because they were once my own village?”

“...Indeed,” Zenrus replied, after taking a moment to think. “That, and it was too dangerous for humans to go near Micheal’s seal. I was worried you would either hurt it or be hurt by it. I should have known you would explore it anyway.”

“I’ve never been good at listening to orders, I guess.”

“I wanted to tell you when you were older.” Zenrus said. “I thought that you were too young to understand what happened. Then I wanted to wait until you and Mikleo told Muse about your relationship. ...No, I suppose I was being selfish,” a sigh. “I didn’t want you to grow up and realize the harsh truths of the world had.”

“...I can see what you mean by that,” Sorey said. The world was so simple, back then. The most he had to worry about was what he was going to eat for dinner. Then he met Mikleo and realized the world was a lot more complicated than that. Mikleo brought to Sorey solace, and yet he also brought him fear of the malevolence and the struggles Glenwood had.

It was all worth it. “I’m… I’m not angry at you for it. I only wanted an explanation.” 

“Who gave you permission to grow up without me?” Zenrus replied, his smile contrasting his saddened voice. “You’ve learned how to fly without me realizing you’ve left the nest.”

“All thanks to Mikleo.”

“Hm… have you told Muse about you and Mikleo yet?”

“..No. Mikleo said that we’d do it soon. Today, or tomorrow, if we can. I wanted to talk to you before we did that, though.”

“It’s best to do it soon. I’m sure she would prefer you telling her than for her to find you two hiding it from her. You boys have been hiding quite a bit, haven’t you? I suppose it’s only fair, considering how much we’ve been hiding from you.”

“But we’re not doing that anymore.” Sorey shook his head. “All of us. We need to stop hiding stuff from each other.”

“Wise words.”

“...Gramps, can I ask a question? Why’d you take me under your wing at Camlann? Were we the only survivors?”

“Not quite. Had you been born a seraph, Muse surely would have taken you to Ladylake. Since you were left a human, she entrusted you under my care. I am thankful for this opportunity. ...Now go, Sorey, and find Muse and Mikleo. She told me she’s going to have a meeting with messengers from Pendrago.”

“What — really?! I’ll leave right away.”

“Wait, Sorey.” Zenrus said. “I want you to know that I am supporting you. I’ve left you on your own for far too long. It’s about time I started walking this path next to you.”

“You’ve always been there for me, Gramps. Since you found me as a baby.”

“Perhaps so. Hurry, Sorey. The time for her meeting is soon. She should be in the room already.”

“Got it! I’ll see you later, okay?” Sorey waved. Once Sorey was gone, Zenrus sighed.

“Children… they certainly do grow up too fast.”

* * *

 

Sorey barged into the room without thinking and he was greeted by Muse and Mikleo’s shocked expressions, mouths hanging open. He paused, his mind catching up to the rush his body was in. “Uh. Hey. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”

Mikleo sighed. “You didn’t. Hello, Sorey. I was just talking to my mother and I think it’s time to tell her about…  _ that. _ ”

“You may come in, Sorey.” Muse said. “Please, close the door behind yourself. I’m assuming this is something private.”

“It kinda is.” Sorey admitted. “Mikleo, do you want to start?”

“Mikleo?” Muse covered her mouth with her hand, gaze fixated on Mikleo. “Sorey, may I ask where you discovered Mikleo’s human name? Did you hear it from Zenrus?”

“Actually, Mother,” Mikleo hesitated. “He heard it from me. I told him myself, when we first met.”

“And where did you first meet?”

“The Galahad ruins. Yes— I know nobody is allowed there! You can scold me after but for now, please, hear me out.” Mikleo said. Okay, here was where their story all began. “It was a long time ago, back when you were ordering me to stay within the castle’s walls all day. Er, to keep things simple, we’d both gone there to investigate the ruins in hopes of learning more about its history.”

“We had no idea that we weren’t alone,” Sorey chipped in. He wasn’t going to let Mikleo tell everything himself— it was Sorey’s story, too. “We met by chance.” Or was it fate? Judging from the look in Mikleo’s eyes, he had the same question.

“And you told him your human name? Did you have any idea who Sorey was?” Muse asked Mikleo.

“...No. I knew he wouldn’t tell anybody and you know I’ve felt more attached to my human name.” Mikleo said. “...Perhaps it’s because of Camlann.”

“Sorey, are you aware of what happened at Camlann?”

“Yep. I’ve heard everything. I know that Mikleo was once a human and that I was born there, too.”

“...I see. It’s of no surprise to me that you two have met and since then become friends. Your lives have been entwined from the start.”

“So you’re okay with me being friends with a human?” Mikleo wondered aloud.

“Why wouldn’t I? Oh, is that why you were hiding it from me?” Muse said with a stern look and tone that appeared eerily similar to Mikleo’s.  _ So that’s where he got it from.  _

“Well, considering we met under circumstances that weren’t the most, er, innocent,” Mikleo said. Sorey held back a snort. “I wasn’t sure if you’d react fondly or not.”

“Besides, weren’t you worried about Mikleo hanging near humans?” Sorey said. 

“I have nothing to worry about with you,” Muse said matter of factly. “You have a pure heart, Sorey. I can feel it in you and I trust you around Mikleo.”

Sorey mentally cheered, relief filling his body. “So, it’s alright that we’re friends?”

The smile on Muse’s face said it all. “I’m happy Mikleo has made a friend with somebody around his age. You should have seen the way he acted when—”

“Mother!” Mikleo cried out, scandalized. "Please don't tell him anything strange!"

“Alright,” Muse chuckled, but she winked at Sorey. “I won’t say anything. Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

Sorey was about to say yes, but Mikleo had other ideas. “Actually, Mother, I want to talk to you about the Celestial Record.”

Oh, yeah. That existed. “I don’t know how much I can help you with. Michael didn’t know much either, it was banned far before either of us even came to Ladylake and became a part of the royalty here.”

“Do you have any idea why it may have been banned?”

“Are you asking this because you have the book?”

_ Wow.  _ Muse was a lot more like Mikleo than Sorey first thought. “It belongs to me, technically.” Sorey said. “I found it in the ruins of Camlann. Zenrus didn’t know I had it, since I wasn’t supposed to go near those ruins. Mikleo and I have been reading through it together, but it’s been taking us some time because the language is so old and a bit hard to translate.”

“I can’t understand why it’s been banned.” Mikleo said. “It’s about the history of seraphim with people. We’ve learned about the first dragon and the first war between humans and seraphim and so much more.”

“It does sound like it is full of valuable information. That could have been why it was banned. It’s no secret that there are some rulers out there who keep the public ignorant to control them.” A shadow crossed over Muse. “Considering seraphim are the ones in charge of Ladylake, there must have been something written that would be detrimental to the power they have.”

“What knowledge would a seraph be afraid of humans having?” Mikleo raised a hand to his chin. “Sorey, the Celestial Record never mentioned how seraphim came into power, did it?”

“No, I didn’t read that far yet.” Sorey said. If truth were to be told, he was feeling more than uncomfortable in this conversation, as he did whenever somebody brought up seraphim-human relations. He didn’t know what to think about it. “You think that’s why it was banned?”

“Keep reading, and you may find out.” Muse said. “I don’t have the time to dedicate to the Celestial Record, but you two may have that time.”

“Thanks, Your Majesty.”

“Please, call me Muse. If Mikleo trusts you with his human name over his title, then I can do the same.”

“Alrighty, Muse. I’ll be sure to look through the Celestial Record and tell you about anything important.”

“Don’t forget about me,” Mikleo pushed at Sorey’s shoulder with his own. “You’d take years to get through it alone.”

“I’d say it’s more like months, now that I’ve had you teaching me.”

“Really? With the way you always zone out during my lessons, I’d have thought that nothing would retain.”

“Sorry, what were you saying? I wasn’t listening.”

“Sorey!”

“Alright, you two.” Muse stepped in between them. “You can argue elsewhere. The meeting should be beginning soon and I need to prepare for it. Mikleo, didn’t you say you had something to do?”

“Ah, I’ll get to that.” Mikleo grabbed Sorey’s arm. “Care to join me?”

“I don’t know what for, but sure?” Sorey said, letting himself be dragged out the room. “Thanks again, Muse!” Once out, Mikleo didn’t let go and continued to drag Sorey towards what he recognized to be the knights’ area. “Mikleo, where are we going?”

“You’ve said that you’ve been bored with nothing to do and there’s not much you can do to help politically-wise and I don’t think being a knight suits you.” Mikleo said. “You know how I said I wanted to introduce you to Alisha? She’s still recovering from her injuries and I thought you might want to help her. You can help care for her, keep her company and you’d make a fine sparring partner, too. Until Alisha regains her normal strength, that is.”

“I can do that? I’d love to!” Sorey couldn’t keep a grin from forming. He’d finally be able to help! “When do I start?”

“Why not now? But before you do that, you need to arm yourself. Come on, the armoury is right around this corner.”

Sorey tilted his head. “I’ve never tried armour before. Is it hard to fight in?” He’d seen Alisha’s armour and though little, looked difficult to put on, let alone fight in. There were so many straps and belts…

“Oh, if you want, you can wear some armour. I was just thinking a sword would do. That’s what you fight with, yes?”

“Yeah, I’ve only practiced with a sword. Is it… alright for you to give me one?”

“I’m the prince, I can do a lot of things.” Mikleo smirked. “I mean, it’s for a good reason. I’m not abusing my power. Ah, here we are.” Mikleo let go of Sorey’s arm and pushed open dark oak doors. The faint smell of sweat, leather and polish assaulted Sorey’s nose and it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darker room. Swords, spears, shields, maces and a couple of other weapons Sorey didn’t recognize hung on the walls, silvery bright, ready to use.

“Pick whatever you want. You can try it out, too.” Mikleo said. “Try not to destroy anything.”

“I won’t!” Sorey looked over the blades. They weren’t like his old sword, which had no sharp edge, but how different could they be? He picked one at random, one that looked closest to his old one and gave it a test swing. Heavier, definitely.

He set it back and tried out a few others, but they were too long, too heavy or too unfamiliar for his liking. There was one that was close to the first he picked out and he did take a couple of minutes comparing it to the first.  “I think I’ll go with this one.” Sorey said, eventually going with his first-choice. He ran his fingers along the hilt, where the symbol of Ladylake was proudly engraved. “I might need some time to practice with it before getting into any fights, though.”

“Hopefully you won’t get into any fights.” Mikleo said and yep, there was that stern look he’d seen on Muse earlier. “However, if you’d like, we can spar.”

Sorey tucked the -  _ his  _ sword into its sheath. “I think I’ll pass on that one.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.” Mikleo taunted.

“It’s not that…” Sorey said. Well, it kinda was. He’d seen enough of Mikleo’s artes to know that he stood no chance. What was a human to a seraph in a fight? One Twin Flow and he’d be done for. He may be shorter, but his staff made up for it. Not to mention Mikleo had the advantage of professional training by his side.

“...Are you worried I’ll hurt you? Are you scared of me?”

“No!” Sorey said, maybe a little too loudly. “I’m not scared of you. I used to be, but not anymore.”

“You used to be?” Mikleo’s face fell.

Sorey rubbed the back of his neck. “It was back when we didn’t know each other, when we first met! I was scared of you because I thought you were going to arrest me for trespassing or something. ...And, when we fought those hellions, I was kinda scared of your artes. I’d never seen a seraph fight that close before.”

“I should have been more mindful of you. I know some humans don’t like that.”

“It was just… unfamiliar. And my friend, Rose, she told me to avoid going too close to seraphim and everything, so I didn’t know if I could trust you or not. I know better now, though. Really!”

“I believe you.” Mikleo nodded. “You’ve changed a lot since we first met. I can’t believe I didn’t realize how uncomfortable you were back then. I’m assuming you don’t want to spar?”

“Not with this!” Sorey pointed to his sword. “I’m afraid I’m gonna hurt you if I used an actual sword. Maybe a wooden one or something?”

“Is that a yes?” Mikleo’s eyes glittered with excitement. “I’ll introduce you to Alisha first, and I’ll talk with Enid. Then I’ll kick your ass.”

Sorey laughed. “Are you allowed to say things like that?”

“Probably not, but my point still stands.”

* * *

 

Mikleo knocked twice on Alisha’s door and a weak “Come in!” replied. He nodded to Sorey and entered. Alisha was lying on the bed, as usual, and she had a book in hand.

“Greetings, Your Highness, and…”

“I’m Sorey,” Sorey stuck his hand out, and Alisha took it with no hesitation. “I’m Zenrus’ grandson. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re Sir Zenrus’ grandson?” Alisha gasped.

“Indeed he is.” Mikleo answered. “I know you’ve been struggling with getting around and I thought you’d appreciate some help. Is that alright?”

“I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Your Highness, your kindness is unmatched by any other. And thank you, Sir Sorey, for agreeing to help me.”

Sorey looked at Mikleo, who shrugged. “Don’t bother,” he said in a low voice. “I’ve been trying to get her to call me ‘Mikleo’ for ages now.” Even ‘Prince Mikleo’ would do, like how she called Lailah ‘Lady Lailah’. Needless to say, it didn't work.

“I can deal with it.” Sorey said. “Alisha, d’you need any help with something right now? A glass of water, maybe?”

“No, not at all.” Alisha closed her book. “Thank you for offering.”

“Alisha, before I go, I want to ask you about Enid. You do not need to hide anything from me or Sorey. Rest assured, your information will be kept confidential.” Mikleo said. If Alisha wanted it, whatever she’d say in the room would stay in the room.

“I think that’s for the better. What exactly do you want me to tell you about Enid?”

“Who is she as a person? Were you any close with her?”

“Somewhat. She was always closest with her sister, Rodine, and Lady Maltran.” Alisha pondered. “She was a lot more, ah, how do I say this? She was more passive than her sister, who loved to question orders. Rodine was a lot more headstrong, while Enid placed complete faith in the seraphim. I don’t believe that she betrayed us. I know she’d never do something like that.”

“You knew that’s why I was talking to you about her?” Mikleo sighed. “I want to trust the both of you as well, but I need to get to the bottom of what happened at Marlind. My mother is currently in a meeting with more of Pendrago’s advisors. The knights are due to arrive any day now and approach Marlind. I don’t want to send them there blind.”

“I wish I could tell you more, but I’m afraid my memories are all jumbled up.”

“No, it’s alright. Well, if that’s it, I need to finish my business. If you need to find me, I’ll be in the library. I’ll come and find you later, Sorey, when I finish.”

“Careful, Mikleo. If you take too long, I’m going to think you’re running from our spar.”

Alisha’s cheeks went pale, expression aghast. Heh, this was certainly not the way to speak to a prince. Perhaps, by hanging around somebody as casual as Sorey, Alisha would learn to relax a fair bit. “As if. I’m simply giving you more time to lament your fate.”

“Oooh, big words.” Sorey wiggled his eyebrows and Mikleo had to remind himself that bursting out laughing in front of Alisha was  _ not  _ going to make the situation any better.

“We’ll see what happens. Sorey, Alisha, I’ll see you later.”

He was surprised Alisha managed to string together a goodbye, what with the confused expression she had on. She’d been so down ever since Marlind — for good reason — and having somebody as positive as Sorey around would do her well. He shook the remainder of those thoughts from his mind as he turned to Enid, instead.

Alisha was adamant about Enid’s loyalty, though Alisha was always too trusting for her own good. What she said was right, however. Enid  _ was  _ extremely loyal compared to her sister. If that was the case, then how could she be so close to her sister? Surely their varying levels of loyalty would cause some friction between the two. Or was that a sibling thing?

He found Enid in the armoury, the same one where Sorey chose his sword. Her eyes were trained on the spears, a couple of which were missing since his last visit. She used one, didn’t she? Her sister, too. It couldn’t be a mere coincidence that all of those closest to Lady Maltran used spears. Enid jumped when he entered the room, then hastily bowed.

“Greetings, Enid. Are you busy at the moment?”

“N-No, Your Highness! I was simply looking at the weapons available. I want to be able to go back to being a knight as soon as possible and I need a weapon to do that.”

“You can take your time to recover, but if you feel that you are well enough, I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Highness.” Enid bowed again. “Um, you wanted me for something?”

“Yes, I was hoping to ask you a little bit about Marlind and Lady Maltran.”

“L-Lady Maltran?” Enid squeaked. “Did you… find her?”

“No, but our search continues. You and your sister were quite close to her, yes?” Mikleo sat down on one of the benches. Enid remained standing, toying with the hem of her sleeve.

“...Yes, we were. Lady Maltran is very important to the both of us. Since we were children, Lady Maltran has taken care of us.”

“Your sister, she seemed to be quite loyal to Lady Maltran. I won’t judge you or your sister for anything you say here, but how did your sister feel about the seraphim in the castle?”

“She was loyal to the seraphim, too! She’d - she’d never betray the seraphim! She’s just a little closer to Lady Maltran because of what she’s done for us.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend.” Interesting. That wasn’t what he heard through the grapevine. Then again, Enid knew her sister better than anyone. It could be a case of Rodine simply struggling with showing affection. Only a rare few like Sorey chose to wear their heart on their sleeve.

“Lady Maltran is innocent, too! She’s completely loyal to the seraphim, she’s not a traitor.”

Huh? Mikleo wasn't questioning Maltran's loyalty, but it was nice to have that confirmation. As far as he knew, everybody else in the castle trusted Maltran wholly. It's why she, even as a human, was held to such a high regard amongst the seraphim. “I’ll take your words into consideration, Enid.” Of course, he also had to stay as unbiased as possible. “Can you tell me a little bit about Lady Maltran? I’m afraid I was never that close with her.”

“A-Ah, well, Rodine and I don’t know much either. Lady Maltran is very secretive about her past. All we know is that she joined shortly after Her Majesty was crowned queen.”

"I see."

Mikleo asked a couple of more basic questions, and all of Enid’s responses were short and lacking in what he wanted— answers. He gained the slightest bit of insight as to who Lady Maltran and the sisters were, but nothing concrete. All he knew was that their loyalty to Lady Maltran was undying.

Questions continued to plague his mind and Mikleo left the armoury, hoping that his spar with Sorey would clear his mind.

* * *

 

The rules for the match were simple. No headshots, no seraphic artes (for Mikleo) and be careful. Sorey watched Mikleo standing across the dirt training grounds. He’d summoned his staff and was  _ definitely  _ showing off, twirling it with ease. The wooden training sword Mikleo gifted him felt sturdy, enough so that he was hesitant to swing it. What if he was too rough and bruised Mikleo?

Mikleo only waved off his concerns, saying that he could heal them in a second with his seraphic artes. “Ready?” Mikleo said with a confident smirk that was bordering on cocky. It was cute, but that wouldn’t stop Sorey from wiping it off.

“Definitely.”

Mikleo’s smirk grew larger and he responded by diving towards Sorey, swinging his staff to cleave through the space Sorey was just standing in. He retaliated by bringing his sword up to meet Mikleo’s staff and for a moment, they were locked in place.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t going to go easy on me.” Sorey remarked.

“Having trouble already?”

Sorey pushed down on Mikleo’s staff, and he was forced to back off, unwilling to test Sorey's strength. “You wish.” 

It was Sorey’s turn to charge at Mikleo. Mikleo was quick, but physically, Sorey was stronger than him. In order to win, he had to use that to his advantage. Unfortunately, Mikleo realized the same thing and he was moving light on his feet, letting Sorey be the one to chase him.

The first time Sorey got a solid hit to Mikleo, it was to the side of his torso and Sorey immediately stopped afterwards. Mikleo took that opportunity to jab Sorey in the stomach with his staff, forcing him to the ground.

“Mik…” Sorey wheezed. “Mikleo, you alright?”

“You’re asking  _ me  _ that?” Mikleo said incredulously. “You’re the one on the ground. It’s a spar, Sorey, and you’re not using a real sword. I’m fine.”

On unsteady feet, Sorey stood again. “If you say so…”

And it was back to swinging at each other, both trying to get the upper hand. Mikleo was adept at blocking, but every time Sorey’s sword found its way to his body, Sorey flinched like he was the one struck. Mikleo, on the other hand, was not pulling his punches and it wasn’t long before again, Sorey was thrown to the ground.

Mikleo kicked his sword away and pointed his staff at Sorey’s neck. Sorey raised his hands, surrendering with a good-natured laugh. “Looks like you did kick my ass.”

“It appears so.” Mikleo dispersed his staff and in its place, held his hand out to help Sorey up. What with the sun shining behind him and his flushed cheeks from their spar, he really looked like an angel sent down to help Sorey. He took Mikleo’s hand and let himself be hauled back to his feet.

“That was a lot of fun.” Sorey dusted off his pants, then checked over Mikleo’s body. No, not in  _ that  _ way, he scolded himself. “You’re sure you’re alright?”

“Seraphim heal quickly. What about you? Do you have anything I need to heal?”

“Nope. I’m as fit as a fiddle. Or maybe not.” Sorey massaged his arms. “I haven’t fought like this in ages. I don’t think my body’s used to it.”

“That’s to be expected. We should get cleaned up. There’s dirt in your hair.”

“Gee, I wonder whose fault is that?”

“Yours, for letting me knock you to the ground.” Mikleo retorted. “I’m not as messy as you, but I still need to neaten myself up before I go to this meeting.”

“Aw, another one?” Sorey was hoping they’d get more time to spend together after their spar.

“The knights from Pendrago should be arriving tomorrow, sometime in the late afternoon. We’re just finishing off some final things, like compensation stuff and whatnot. I’m going to be the one handling most of the meeting, my mother’s going to be busy with something else.”

“Wow, you’re going to be there on your own?”

“Not quite. Some of the other seraphim will be with me.”

“That’s good to hear. When will you get out?”

“I don’t know if I have time to spare for the rest of the day… Sorry, Sorey. I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hang out again. Besides, you’ve got Alisha to help kill some time on your end, too.”

“You’re right. I talked with her a lot when you left. She’s a really nice person, I’m looking forward to spending more time with her.” Sorey chirped. She acted like a knight, but as it turned out, she was really interested in history books, too. Apparently, in her spare time, she’d read them herself and her knowledge made for great conversations. Sorey had known her for only a couple of hours, but he was ready to call her a friend.

They said their goodbyes, and Sorey stopped by the armoury to drop off his training sword. His actual sword was left behind in the armoury, but when he got back, it was missing, sheath and all. Huh, that was strange. He searched around, but there was no sign of it anywhere. 

_ Guess a knight didn’t realize somebody was using it. _

He looked back to the swords on the wall and, after a moment of thinking, took the one he’d been debating over earlier in the day. He wasn’t sure if it was okay to, but if he was in charge of protecting Alisha, he didn’t want to be caught defenseless.

* * *

 

Mikleo had decided one of the best things about being a seraph was their ability to operate without needing sleep. He’d been working since the moon was high, watched the flame in his lanturn grow smaller and smaller until its light was replaced by the sun’s outside. His spar with Sorey really did do wonders for him. Sorey, for somebody living such a passive life —  _ past tense or present tense? His life certainly didn’t feel so passive anymore, even from an outsider’s perspective—  _ had a great grasp of the fundamentals of sword fighting. With professional training, he’d be able to go even farther, but the idea of a knight didn’t fit Sorey.

He set down his quill and stretched, trying to regain full control of his stiff legs. A break sounded good right about now. A quick walk around the castle to check up on everything and get the blood pumping again, then he could go back to work. The idea of a snack didn’t seem too bad, either.

He left the third floor and the second floor was much quieter than usual. Was it really that early? Judging from the sleepy nods passing knights gave him, it was. Walking down the hallways, heading towards him, was Lailah. Even for a seraph, she was always full of life no matter what the time.

“Your Highness!” Lailah’s voice, normally quiet, seemed loud in the empty hallways. 

“Good morning, Fethmus Mioma.”

“Good morning. I was just heading to your bedroom to go find you. I was checking up on Enid and she asked me to get you for her? I believe she wanted to talk to you about something.”

What? Enid said that she told Mikleo everything she could yesterday. Then again, he had the feeling she was hiding  _ some  _ things, but every person had their secrets. “I’ll go to her right this moment. Where is she?”

“She said it was in the same place where you talked yesterday.”

“Got it. Thank you for the message.”

Mikleo changed direction, from heading to the kitchens to the back of the castle, where the knight’s quarters and armoury was. From what he remembered, Enid didn’t have any tasks set for her this early in the morning. Was it her thoughts that kept her awake?

Like the previous day, Mikleo walked into the armoury to the sight of Enid. This time, she had one of her spears with her, and armour too. She looked to be all set to go out on patrol. “You’re going back to your duties?” Mikleo asked.

“Hello, Your Highness. Sorry to call you this early in the morning, but it’s something urgent I have to tell you. I didn’t tell you everything I knew about Lady Maltran.”

“If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to.”

“No… no, I’m going to tell you. But, may we do it elsewhere? Lady Maltran wishes to keep her past secretive and I’m worried about eavesdroppers.”

“...Lead the way.” Mikleo said. Enid took him outside the armoury, away from the knight’s quarters and the castle, to the back of Ladylake. Mikleo didn’t complain; he needed the walk. “Enid, I know I’m being redundant, but I would like to be sure. Are you ready to go back to your duties? It’s no use getting into a fight if you still haven’t recovered from the last.”

Enid kept her eyes trained ahead. “Really, Your Highness, I’m alright. I… I can handle myself in a fight.”

That was that.

Enid stopped him just by the outside borders of Ladylake. There were no knights standing guard around this area, for the walls dividing Ladylake and the outside land were strong enough to keep the hellions out, and humans tended to travel across the other side, meaning there was nobody there to protect.

Mikleo took a moment to take in the fresh air, enjoying the way the breeze danced around him after spending so long cramped inside his tiny bedroom. There was a twinge of malevolence he felt nagging him, but it was easy enough to ignore. The birds were singing their morning tunes and there was the unmistakable sound of a metal being drawn from a sheath.

Mikleo summoned his staff and swung around just in time to meet Enid’s spear, stopping it moments before it would have run through him, his training the only thing that saved him. “Enid?! What are you doing?!”

Enid brought up her knee, driving it into Mikleo’s stomach and he fell to the ground. To-do list: Apologize to Sorey for doing the same to him with his staff yesterday. That  _ hurt.  _ Enid pointed her spear at Mikleo’s neck, freezing him in place. If she pushed it the slightest bit farther, it’d pierce his neck. “Enid, what is the meaning of this?!” Mikleo asked again.

“I… I told you I’d tell you more about Lady Maltran, didn't it? She ordered me to do this.” Enid said, voice shaking. “Forgive me, Your Highness!”

Mikleo didn’t bother thinking about her words. His body reacted before he did and the ground underneath him lit up with a glyph. Water burst forth, forcing Enid— and her spear—  away. Using his staff for support, Mikleo regained his footing. “Lady Maltran is… she’s  _ alive?!  _ Enid—” Mikleo blocked Enid’s blade with his staff once more. This was nothing like his spar with Sorey yesterday. That one was fun and casual, and he’d spent more time watching Sorey than paying attention to his wooden sword. This, whatever this was, was  _ real.  _ Enid intended to hurt, to kill, and there was no playfulness in her eyes. “ _ Answer me!” _

“Lady Maltran and Rodine… they’re - they’re both alive. They told me to do this. I have to do it, for them!”

“Why? Why do they want you to do this?!”

“They said that you seraphim - you don’t deserve any of what you have!” Enid punctuated every word with another attempt to harm Mikleo. Narrowly, he avoided her blade, but he couldn’t do more than block. She was giving him no time to cast and even if she would, he’d choose not to. So that's where the malevolence was coming from. 

“Deserve?”

“The seraphim have always used humans as tools! They exert their power over humans and Lady Maltran wishes to make things equal.”

“By  _ killing  _ me?!”

“Only the seraphim are in power. She said if we make enough malevolence to weaken the seraphim, then - then we’d be able to balance the scales!”

Enid brought the end of her spear crashing down on Mikleo’s shoulder. He cried out in pain and lost the resolve to abstain from using artes. If he kept holding back, he’d get killed. Shards of ice materialized by his side and Enid had seconds to react before they charged at her. Mikleo quickly healed the bruise he was sure her spear left behind and prepared another arte.

“Make enough malevolence..? Enid,  _ tell me what happened at Marlind!  _ Freeze Lancer!”

Enid knew, Mikleo knew that his ice was no meager thing. It was as sharp as a knife and, if he wanted to, could make it pierce through the toughest of armour. Enid avoided each and every one with more ease than Mikleo liked. Lady Maltran’s pupil indeed. 

“We… Lady Maltran needed the malevolence! We were hoping that nobody would find out what she did, but we didn’t expect Alisha to survive or for Ladylake to ask Pendrago for help…!”

“You tried to kill Alisha,” Mikleo snarled, sending another wave of ice at Enid. Her injuries must have healed completely, so easily compared to Alisha. No wonder why she wasn't that hurt when she came in. She was  _behind_ the attack. “You drowned Marlind in malevolence and you say it’s for  _ justice?  _ That’s how you’re going to make things equal?”

“Lady Maltran said—”

“I don’t care what she said. When you said you were loyal to her, I didn’t imagine you meant you were a dog to her.”

“My sister agrees with her, too! We’re  _ helping  _ humans!”

“I’m sure the humans living in Marlind would agree with you.” Mikleo readied another arte: Aqua Serpent. A snake attacking a snake, wasn’t that fitting. Energy coursed through his veins, more energy than he’d ever used in a fight in a long time. “I once had respect for you, Enid, but I’m going to stop you right here, you and your revolting plan. You’re already losing! Once the knights from Pendrago make it here, we’ll be able to save Marlind with the help of the information I’ll get out of you when I capture you. You didn’t even manage to silence Alisha.”

“Alisha… she shouldn’t have said anything. But there’s still hope for her. Maybe, she’ll join us.”

“Not in your dreams. Alisha is more loyal and true than any other knight here. She’ll never join your side!” 

“Then Rodine is going to have to kill her…” Enid mumbled. Mikleo’s heart stopped and the energy going into his arte scattered as his concentration went awry, mind racing to understand what Enid said. The glowing glyph beneath his feet vanished, leaving his guard wide open. “Lady Maltran did say that Alisha liked seraphim too much…”

“You’re going to try to silence Alisha again..?!” Mikleo, pale white with fear, glanced back towards the castle.  _ Shit!  _ Mikleo thought back to the hallways, so quiet, so  _ barren.  _ This was the perfect opportunity for an assassin— who had great knowledge of the castle’s layout— to sneak in and…

Enid came into Mikleo’s view, standing in between the castle and him. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t let you go past. I’m going to have to stop you here.”

_ Dammit! There was no time for this! Alisha was in danger..! _

Fine, then. He’d have to make it quick and pray that he warned the guards in time, or the guards would notice Rodine before anything would happen. 

Please,  _ please, let Alisha be safe… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if my writing drive originally quit on itself because I've been writing long chapters? ...Ehh, I like writing long chapters, though. Any~ways, thanks for sitting tight during my mini-hiatus. Until the next time we meet~


	16. You're You

Lailah watched the sun rise over the mountains, looking to where Camlann’s ruins lay and beneath them, Heldalf. Eizen said he was going to check out the seal, yes? The journey wasn’t that long, even for a single seraph, and what more could Eizen investigate on his own?

He’d be annoyed that she was sending knights to look for him, but it was better safe than sorry. 

Time was of the essence here. When Eizen came back, Lailah would be prepared to give him an earful. Nobody was safe these days.

* * *

 

There was a scream, a crash, a bang, coming from Alisha’s room. Each sounded magnified in the empty hallways— where were the guards? A bad feeling rose in Sorey’s gut. He’d gotten up in the morning to relax with Alisha and he was thankful he decided to go.

Sorey sprinted the rest of the way to her room and threw open the door, expecting to see a broken plate on the ground or something like that, but it was worse. Alisha was on the ground, sitting on her bedsheets. Pillows were strewn about and there was broken glass littering the ground. There was a stranger, a woman, holding a spear, its blade in-between Alisha’s eyes. Her eyes seemed to glow red and upon Sorey entering the room, she frowned, seeing the sword in Sorey’s hands.

“You’re that new human assigned to be Alisha’s handmaid, aren’t you?” the stranger said. “Didn’t expect to catch you here. I thought Enid got rid of your sword.”

“She did. It’s a good thing I decided to grab another.” Sorey pointed his sword at the stranger. So that’s where his other one went. A knight indeed had taken it, but it wasn’t any accident. This was planned, whatever it was. “Back away from Alisha.”

“Why, Alisha and I were just having a little chat, weren’t we?” The stranger’s frown vanished and she had the gall to smile. This was just a game to her.

“You… you  _ traitor!”  _ Alisha scrambled backwards, clutching her sleeve, which had a gradually growing red stain. “I can’t believe you, Rodine! You and Enid… you—!” Alisha was at a loss for words, rage and confusion holding her mind hostage.

“Get back, Alisha!” Sorey stepped in front of her. Mikleo was wondering if he had to trust Alisha or Enid, right? It looked like Sorey found out who was to trust. “Who are you and why are you here?”

“I could be asking  _ you  _ the same question,” she sighed. “Things were going  _ so  _ well, too. You can leave now and live, or I’ll have to kill you along with Alisha.”

“You’re trying to kill Alisha?!” Sorey said at the same time Alisha said, “Why do you want to kill me?!”

“It was Lady Maltran’s orders.” Rodine purred. Right, Rodine was one of Lady Maltran’s pupils! She was Enid’s sister, the one who was missing. She and Enid and Alisha… if they were all her pupils, why did she want Alisha  _ dead?  _ If Rodine was in on the plan, then where was Enid? What was she doing?

“No!” Alisha cried. “You’re lying.”

“If that’s what you want to believe. It won’t matter when you’re dead.” Rodine spun her spear in her hands. “Now back out of the way, boy.”

“I won’t. You’re going to have to get through me if you want Alisha. Alisha, go get some help!”

“Sorey, don’t fight her! You’ll only get hurt.” Alisha got up, tugging at Sorey’s sleeve, pulling him away from Maltran. 

“ _ Sorey?” _ Like a cat stalking its prey, Maltran took one, slow step towards the two. Sorey fidgeted under her gaze. “You’re Sorey, the Elysian boy? Or ex-Elysian boy, I suppose.”

Sorey tightened his grip on his sword. “I’m still from Elysia. Alisha,  _ go!” _

Whether it was from Sorey’s demanding tone, so different from his usual cheerful demeanor or because Rodine finally took her eyes off Alisha, Alisha ran. “Be careful, Sorey.” Left behind were only spots of blood on the floor.

“So you  _ are  _ Sorey!” Rodine cackled. “You know what? I’ll forgive you for letting Alisha get away. I came here to kill her, but I wouldn’t mind killing  _ you  _ in her place.”

Sorey was from Elysia. It was a peaceful village high in the mountains, away from the conflict of the lands below. No thieves or the like came to Elysia and the worst enemy he ever had to fight was a prickleboar. He only ever had friendly spars with other Elysians.  _ Friendly  _ spars.

Rodine was a trained knight, one of the highest. She’d been in multiple battles before, she killed before. And now, she was going to kill Sorey.

She slashed at Sorey and he raised his sword to block, metal screeching against metal. Sorey was thrown to the ground and Rodine stood over him, spear resting casually on her shoulder. “Poor you,” she said mockingly and Sorey rolled away just as she drove her spear through the space where Sorey’s heart had just been.

She wasn’t playing around when she said she was going to kill him, but she wasn’t taking him seriously either. With too much ease, she blocked each of Sorey’s strikes, almost looking bored while doing so, peppering each of her strikes with comments that cut like daggers.

“Do you think this is the strength that can protect people? Stupid kid.”

Sorey was disadvantaged in every way. Like Mikleo, she had a longer weapon, longer reach and—  _ that’s it!  _ Sorey leaped backwards, spacing himself from Rodine.  _ Just like Mikleo. _ He trained in the castle, too, there had to be  _ some  _ similarities between their fighting styles.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for Rodine’s next onslaught. The room was crowded, but in it she managed to find the space to spin, momentum pushing her onward. A memory of Mikleo doing the same thing flashed in Sorey’s mind, twin-tailed capes flying behind him. 

Mikleo had gotten Sorey with that swing and his shoulder ached just thinking about it, but he was determined not to let the past repeat. Sorey ducked, moving low to the ground to avoid her blade, feeling the wind rush past his face. He slashed at Rodine’s feet, forcing her to jump over him to avoid his blade.

Advance, block, parry, his memories of Mikleo were guiding his blade, from their spar and from the times Sorey saw him fight. But Rodine didn’t fight with a staff and she was a lot more brutal. His arms were beginning to grow sore and Alisha’s blood was joined with his.  _ Where was Alisha?! _

“You’re pretty good for a village boy.” 

“I trained with His Highness.” Sorey wiped sweat from his forehead.

“Did you now?” Rodine said. Sorey grit his teeth. Everything he said, Rodine would twist it into her sick little game. He was falling for her bait everytime. “How close are you to His Highness?”

“That’s none of your business!” Sorey jabbed at Rodine with more force than necessary, aiming for her gut, but she nimbly stepped back. Rodine stopped attacking Sorey; rather, he was the one on the offensive now.

“Isn’t that cute? The itty-bitty human thinks he means something to the seraph.”

“You don’t know anything! I know he cares about me and he means a lot to me.”

“Really? Such a shame he’s going to die.”

Sorey paused, his and Rodine’s faces inches from each other, their weapons locked together. “What are you talking about?”

“Where do you think Enid is? If everything went according to plan, that royal pain should be dead by—”

“Shut up!” No, no,  _ no! _ Sorey had seen Mikleo’s artes and how strong his will was. There was no way he’d fall. He wouldn't. He  _ couldn’t _ . White flashed behind his eyes and sparks flew as he struck Rodine’s spear over and over again, desperate to see her blood spill. “Mik— He’s much stronger than that!”

“My, looks like killing His Highness will give us more malevolence than we thought. Good thing we kept an eye on you.”

“What? You were watching us?”

“Since the very beginning. We’ve been keeping a close eye on His Highness for our plan. We’ve seen you sneaking out, all over Ladylake. We know just how much His Highness has you wrapped around his little finger.”

“He’s not like that!” Sorey protested. Rodine only laughed, then the door was thrown upward and Rodine abruptly stopped. A blur of armor and blonde hair flew by Sorey, the shine of steel separating him from Rodine.

“Shion!”

“Tch! I took too long. This must be your lucky day.” Rodine spat. “Don’t worry, I don’t think His Highness will be as lucky.”

“Rodine, don’t—!” Shion started, but Rodine was already gone, out the broken window. “Damn! She’s gone. Sorey, what happened? Alisha told me Rodine broke in and tried to kill her? I thought she was dead.”

“She said she came here to kill Alisha because she said too much and the prince because… The prince!” Sorey gasped. “Shion, where’s His Highness?!”

“H-Huh? Er, I’m not sure. I’m still trying to process every—”

“He’s in danger! Enid’s in on this, too. Rodine said she went after Mikleo; we need to go look for him!”

“In danger? What..!?” Shion gripped Sorey’s shoulders. “We need to alert the seraphim!”

They left Alisha’s room, never bothering to sheathe their swords. Soon, knights were crying out, “Find His Highness!” but Mikleo was nowhere to be found.

* * *

 

Mikleo was casting arte after arte, exhausting beginning to take over his body. They were all lower-level ones; Enid didn’t give him much time to cast, if any. Her spear had made marks in his staff and their clothes were born torn from the efforts of their battle, colours faded under dirt and blood.

“O vile torrent… smite my enemies!” Mikleo chanted. Water erupted from above Rodine, narrowly missing her. The ground was sleek with the water Mikleo had used to cast, the shards of ice melting in the sun. How long had he been fighting with Enid for? For all he knew, Alisha could be—

“Pyre light!” Enid broke through Mikleo’s thoughts and a wall of fire flew towards him. Confidence pulsed through his veins as he summoned water to wash it away with the same ease one would use to bat away a fly.

“You’re foolish to use fire-based artes against a water seraph.” Mikleo said, taking note in how Enid frowned.

“Do not mock me!” Enid dug the tip of her spear into the ground. “I’ll show you.  _ Earth Rave!”  _ She pulled her spear upwards and with it, rocks jutted from the ground, heading in the direction of Mikleo. The ground shook under his feet and though he avoided the worst of it, some of them struck his legs, surely leaving a few marks there for later.

Mikleo was ready to send another arte Enid’s way in response, but another voice stopped him. “Tch, you call that an earth arte?”

Mikleo swirled around. A familiar figure clad in black was standing, almost nonchalantly, nearby, hands in his pockets. “Eizen!”

Eizen glowered at Enid. “I”ll show you what an earth arte looks like. Earth, tremble and shake under my command… Geo Rumble!” He stomped his foot, sending shockwaves through. Enid stumbled and stones erupted from the ground, bits of dirt flying through the air. Amidst it, Enid howled in pain, and once the dust cleared, Mikleo saw her crouching on the ground, using her spear for support.

This was his chance to restrain her! “That’s the end for you!” Mikleo charged at Enid. From behind, Eizen gasped.

“Don’t—!”

Enid, with one final look at Mikleo, reached into her pocket and then smoke flared from her body, blocking Mikleo’s sight, nose. He coughed, desperately waving his hand to clear the air as he backed away from the smoke.

“Wind Lance.” Eizen said and a breeze pushed by Mikleo, carrying the smoke with it. It cleared, and Enid was gone, the only evidence of her being their battlefield.

“She got away.” Mikleo muttered. “No— Damn! I can’t believe I couldn’t catch her.”

“Don’t blame yourself.” Eizen was at Mikleo’s side. “She’s a tough opponent.”

“No, I can’t afford to think of that now. Eizen, we need to hurry back to the castle. Alisha’s in danger!”

Eizen’s face showed no emotion, but his voice was hard. “Lead the way.”

* * *

 

_ Mikleo, where are you? _

_ Where could he be? _

_ Where would he go? _

Questions without answers clouded Sorey’s mind as he pushed by random people on the streets, looking into store windows, alleyways, anywhere that Mikleo might have been. Where would Enid take him? His sword in hand, his wild hair and wounds from his fight with Rodine, Sorey surely looked mad, but he couldn’t care less.

His heart was threatening to beat right out of his chest, blood thundering in his ears as he prayed to whatever god was up there to keep Mikleo safe. If it was any comfort (it really wasn’t, in all honesty), the other knights were as rattled as Sorey, but they were showing it less. Sorey wanted to scream at them. 

_ It’s your prince that’s in danger?! Why aren’t you looking harder?! _

Deep down, he knew that those thoughts were uncalled for, but fear had blinded him to logic and the only was he’d see straight again was if he found Mikleo safe and sound.

“Search for His Highness!” echoed around the kingdom until Sorey was sure they’d join his nightmares of that burning village— no, not any burning village, Camlann. Sorey suppressed a shudder and let those thoughts go back to rotting in the back of his head, replaced by thoughts of Mikleo.

Okay, that wasn’t much better.

Over and over, he called, “Your Highness!” in between curses thrown at Enid, Rodine, himself, anybody. Sorey’s feet were aching, legs protesting with every step and still, he pushed himself, until he finally heard the words he was searching for.

“You are Sorey, yes?” It was a knight, come running towards him. Sorey prepared himself for the worst, and though the answer was the exact opposite, he lost his breath anyway. “I have come to tell you that His Highness has been found. He is safe. Rejoice! Follow me, I have been instructed to lead you to him.”

The ache in Sorey’s bones joined the thought of Camlann in the back of his mind. “I’m right behind you.”

* * *

 

Sorey rushed into the room, throwing the door open and was greeting by blades at his neck and Muse’s staff pointed right at his chest, a glyph behind her back. He raised his hands in surrender and said nothing, waited.

Muse sighed. “Lower your weapons. Sorey, thank you for your help. His Highness has been found, as I'm sure you've heard.

Sorey relaxed, and the knights in the room lowered their weapons, though they were still kept at the ready. He looked around the room. Knights he couldn’t name, some of the seraphim he’d seen in the castle but didn’t know the name of, Eizen, and Muse.

“Somebody brought me here and said that you called for me?”

“Yes,” Muse answered. “I wanted to give you the news as fast as possible and let you see His Highness for yourself.”

Sorey’s throat constricted. “He’s… is he safe?”

“He’s unharmed, thank the Empyreans.” Muse said and Sorey let out a long breath. “He is currently resting inside his bedroom. I have sent him away to get checked over by Seraph Fethmus Mioma.”

Another way of saying, ‘He’s in his bedroom. You can see him if you’d like.’ “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Sorey bowed and left the room in what he hoped was a somewhat put-together manner. The second he was out of sight, however, he ran. He’d been running all day to look for Mikleo and now he had a destination. Sorey knocked on Mikleo’s door, wanting nothing more than to throw it open, but common sense told him to wait.

It was Lailah who answered. Sorey tried to crane his neck to peer around her, and she smiled, seeing his actions. Her smile faded quickly. “I’ll give you two some time together. Mikleo, as soon as you’re ready, feel free to join us downstairs. Sorey, thank you for defending Alisha. We can reward you later, but for now…”

Lailah was gone before Sorey had the chance to protest. He walked inside, shutting the door behind himself and looked up. Mikleo was on the bed, bandages at his side. Sorey blinked once, twice, too afraid to consider that he was just dreaming, everything was fake and Mikleo wasn’t there.

“Hey.” Mikleo patted the spot on the bed next to himself and he  _ was  _ real. Sorey threw himself at Mikleo instead, hugging him so tightly, feeling his body pressed up against his, clothes captured in his fingers, smelling faintly of lavender. He was  _ alive _ , he wasn’t hurt, he was  _ here  _ and Sorey didn’t want to let go. He was ecstatic enough to kiss him.

“Sorey—?”

“I was… so worried.” Sorey mumbled into Mikleo’s shoulder. “I thought— Rodine said Enid was going to…”

“Rodine… so you  _ did  _ meet her.”

Sorey broke apart, only far enough to look at Mikleo, arms still around his back. “Yeah… I was lucky I decided to visit Alisha that early. Who knows what would’ve happened if I didn’t…”

“Word of your bravery has spread through the castle.” The corners of Mikleo’s lips tilted upwards. “I must have left to get healed right before you came back.”

“You’re— you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?” Sorey ran his fingers along Mikleo’s arms, feeling bandages underneath.

“Slight scratches, nothing more.”

“What happened to you? When I found Rodine, she said Enid was attempting to kill you, while she went for Alisha.”

“Yes, Enid attacked me. She brought me to a secluded space. Something about Maltran and trying to free humans from seraphim, whatever that means. The malevolence at Marlind, too. She said some things that made me suspect she and Maltran were behind that.”

“Did she… say anything about Elysia?”

“No, she didn’t. She also got away. I’m sorry, Sorey.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re safe.” Sorey hugged Mikleo one more time and he reciprocated. 

“I’m glad you’re safe, too. Standing up against Rodine… She’s no amateur, Sorey, she’s a seasoned veteran.”

“I got the feeling she was only playing with me. I’m lucky I was saved by the knights coming in.”

“Funny. Something like that happened to me, too. Eizen dropped by and helped me. If it weren’t for him—”

“Don’t say it.” Sorey said firmly. “I… I don’t want to hear it.”

“...You’re right.” Mikleo broke apart. Sorey backed off, sat on the bed and was shocked to notice that his eyes were beginning to grow watery. “Sorey, are you… crying?”

“I thought you were  _ dead _ , Mikleo. Give me a break!” Sorey wiped his eyes and then started chuckling. Mikleo looked at him like he was mad, and it took Sorey a moment to catch his breath to explain. “Rodine, she… she was saying all these things to anger me. One of them was that you were only using me.”

“Sorey, you—”

“She was only saying that to anger me, like I said. I know you’re not using me. We’re friends, right? I trust you.”

Mikleo leaned back on his bed. “Sorey, you don’t feel… inferior to me because I’m a seraph, do you?”

“...At first, I kinda did.” Sorey joined Mikleo on the bed, staring at his ceiling. “I told you this before, didn't I? Now, I don’t think about it often. You’re just… Mikleo. You’re not His Highness or Luzrov Rulay. I mean, you’re still them, but you’re more Mikleo to me than those other two.”

Mikleo took a moment to think. “That’s… Sorey, thank you. That’s really comforting to hear. I was worried, you know. That you thought yourself inferior because of me, or you only saw me as my titles, like everyone else here at the castle. It’s nice to be…  _ me,  _ for a change. Does that make sense?”

“Definitely. I’m glad you’re you.”

“And I’m glad you’re you. Even with your unholy amounts of cheesiness and optimism and incorrect knowledge of the Asgard Era.”

“Hey!” Sorey elbowed Mikleo. “They’re not  _ that  _ bad. I’ve gotten better at my poetry. Wanna hear it?”

“No.”

“ _ His eyes are as—” _

“Stop it!” Mikleo was already laughing, red in the face. He half-pushed, half-tackled Sorey to the bed. He pinned Sorey to the bed, covering his mouth with one hand in an effort to stop the bad poetry from flowing from his tongue. Sorey squirmed under his grip, trying his best to speak, voice muffled under Mikleo’s palm.

Eventually, he gave up and went limp. Mikleo sat up triumphantly and that was the wrong move. Sorey flipped Mikleo over, enjoying far too much his cry of surprise and pinned him down to the bed, towering over him, panting. “Gotcha! I win.”

“Is this payback for our spar?” Mikleo tried to move his hands under Sorey’s grip, but he wasn’t as foolish and didn’t relent.

“Maybe.”

“Fine, you win. There. I said it. Can you get off me now?”

“...Maybe. I kinda like it up here.” Sorey’s eyes wandered from Mikleo’s own to just above, where his circlet lay. Sorey didn’t see it often, as it was usually hidden under his bangs. Now that Mikleo’s hair was asunder, he could get a better glimpse of the gold, the jewels inlaid within. He carefully let go of Mikleo’s hand, trusting (but not quite) him to not strike, and hovered his hand over the circlet. “...May I?”

Mikleo turned his eyes to the side. “...I’m not stopping you.”

Sorey brushed what hairs remained on the circlet off. He thumbed the jewels, the ornate carvings. It was beautiful. He looked back to Mikleo’s face, tilted slightly to the side. With his circlet, flushed cheeks, messy hair and shifted eyes, Sorey thought he’d never seen something so beautiful. “You’re gorgeous.”

Mikleo froze under his grasp. Then, he covered his face his his hand, groaned, and pushed Sorey off in good-nature. “Ugh, you’re so cheesy.” He adjusted his circlet and bangs, brushing them back into place. It wasn't _that_ cheesy. Even considering Sorey's standards. “My mother gifted this circlet to me. I’ve always thought it was gorgeous when I was young, and couldn’t wait to wear it.”

_ No,  _ you’re  _ gorgeous. Even without your circlet. _

...Is what Sorey wanted to say. He refrained, and let Mikleo hide his circlet under blue-white bangs instead. Every move Mikleo made had him transfixed and he wondered what he did to deserve having Mikleo in his life, somebody so amazing in every way.

He was a prince, a seraph, sure, but he was Mikleo, who loved ruins and ancient history. He had a bit of a rebellious streak, but he was also a stickler for rules. He was proud of his kingdom and used his authority to protect and he was insecure about things Sorey wished he could hug away.

“Mikleo? I’m glad you’re you.”

“You said that already.”

“I felt like saying it again. Besides, it makes you happy to hear, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe.” Mikleo said coyly. He expertly moved out of the way of Sorey’s elbow. “Sorey, I need to give a report about what happened, and you should too. But, after that, can you…”

“I’ll do anything!”

“...Will you stay with me again? Sleep here, tonight?” I thought…”

Sorey raised his finger. “You don’t need to explain. I’ll meet you here after dinner.”

“Thank you, Sorey.” Mikleo shivered. “Fighting for your life is a scary thing.”

“...It is.” Sorey agreed. His nightmares were always kept at bay when he slept with Mikleo and he couldn’t protect him from Enid and Rodine. The least he could do was protect Mikleo from his fears in the dark, however baseless they may be.

* * *

 

Mikleo had long since fallen asleep. Sorey, not so much. Too many thoughts were bouncing around his mind and he couldn’t focus on anything. They all had one thing in common: Mikleo.

He turned over in bed to face Mikleo. His mouth was slightly parted and eyes completely closed.  _ His eyelashes are really long… _

The silver moonlight made Mikleo’s hair glow and just by looking this close, Sorey could tell how soft his skin was and it took everything he had to keep from taking Mikleo’s hand. If he woke, would he believed the excuse “it keeps my nightmares at bay”?

Sorey burrowed deeper into the blanket, thought for a moment, then took Mikleo’s hand. He stirred, but didn’t wake. It might have been wistful thinking, but Sorey swore Mikleo’s fingers tightened around his own. It was a reminder that Mikleo was safe. Even the thought of him being in danger, however little, made his heart clench.

_ I’ll do anything to protect you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha... aha........ sorey u fool. do u realize what u are thinking.
> 
> bad thing about updating slow, among other things: you forget what you're writing about in your own story   
> to do list: how do you write fight scenes? relationships? talking?? how do you write??? someday I will learn


	17. Deep Breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh... Hi. It's been a while, hasn't it? Let me explain:
> 
> I last updated this on... April 24th. And it's October 24th today, 6 months later! Wow, you'd think that I planned this. Um. I'd written half of the story really early on. But May and June were not kind months to me-- I completely lost the will to write and when I found a spark, I hadn't the time to turn that into a chapter. July, I was recovering from writer's block and the previous two months and now..? Now, I'm still trying to deal with mental health stuff (and I have a job now!! My first job, I got hired back at August, so that's been taking some of my spare time too, heh). Oh yeah, I've also fallen back into Kingdom Hearts hell after being out of the fandom for 6-7+ years. So uh, I've been writing a lot of KH fanfics.
> 
> In other words, this is the reason for the long wait. Believe me, I was always constantly wanting to update, but I just couldn't. I also missed a lot of things when I was gone!
> 
> First: As of May 8th, I have been writing fanfiction for one year! I never wrote fanfiction before May 2017 and my first fanfic happened to be a Sormik one, ahah. You can say they got me into writing fanfiction. The work is still up on my page, but it's... well, I've improved a lot since then, heh.
> 
> Second: As of July 16th, we've passed the one year anniversary for this fic! Happy belated birthday. This fic honestly was supposed to just be a oneshot, but after receiving comments asking and wondering about more, I decided why not? Let's make this into a chaptered fic. It's gone through a lot of development since my initial ideas, and now that I'm coming back from a hiatus, I'm kinda flailing about and trying to remember where I left off in my planning. In all honesty, I'm almost... embarrassed(?) about this fic. I feel like I could have planned it better, ahead of time (I completely forgot to put a character in a chapter, once...) and my writing isn't top-notch quality.
> 
> But I see that as a good thing. Y'know, how far I've come since I decided to write this little then-oneshot one night? I am ashamed of my writing in my first chapter, but it's proof of how much I've developed since then.
> 
> That's a long ramble-- it's hard to think that I planned to say this all back in May and June, when I thought I'd be able to get the chapter out by then. Either way, it's out now and that's what matters. It's a short one for today, I just wanted to get past the biggest barrier and post it already and I apologize if there's a shift in writing styles or mood or tone. Still trying to get back into the mood I was in when I was originally writing.
> 
> Cheers!

“The seal is weak. It can’t take much more force.” Eizen said, crossing his arms. Around the table, the seraphim, Sorey and Zenrus watched Eizen closely, hoping he was exaggerating, it was a joke, but no, Eizen never did any of those things. “I felt more malevolence than I felt energy radiating from the seal.”

A single day after the attacks and already, Sorey and Mikleo were thrust into more trouble. It was midday, and Muse had called a meeting of the seraphim and the important figures in the castle to discuss what Eizen found at the seal. Mikleo, though exhausted, had dragged himself to the meeting and Sorey's dark circles were more visible than ever. Oh, how Mikleo almost wished to be back in those days before he met Sorey, when he had nothing to do in the castle.

Dread, dark and heavy, suffocated the room. Muse was the first to speak. “So, it’s gotten that bad. We have less time to act than I thought.”

“How long has Maltran been working under the shadows?” Lailah mused to herself. “I didn’t notice anything, after all this time… I believe it’s safe to say that she won’t stop until the seal is broken.”

“And we’re still unaware of her whereabouts and next plans. Eizen, you didn’t happen to see where she ran off to, did you?” Muse said.

Eizen thought for a moment. “...No. Can’t say I did for sure. But she’s out there, waiting to strike. She’s got her eyes on the royal family.”

Once again, nobody spoke. Sorey and Mikleo exchanged an uncomfortable look, Sorey’s clearly saying,  _ “What now?” _   Somewhere to his side, Lailah murmured something to Morgrim and Mikleo looked to the floor. Enid, Rodine, Maltran, and whoever torched Elysia… Their enemies kept stacking and it was only a matter of time before they would be the ones on top, ruling the world. That was their end goal, after all. Dethrone the seraphim, “free” the humans from their grasp. 

“Eizen.” Muse said, slowly. “How long do you think the seal will be able to withstand the malevolence?”

“At this rate? Probably no more than three weeks.”

Muse pursed her lip, nodded, sighed. She looked from the seraphim to the humans, one by one, passing quickly over Mikleo and hesitating on Lailah. Her eyes were shut as she spoke, “I have an idea. I would like everybody to remain silent until I finish speaking.”

The stage was hers. Mikleo leaned forward in his seat, anticipation and something terrible rising from within his throat.

“If things continue as-is, there is little doubt that the seal will break.” Nods and sounds of agreement from around the room. Muse’s expression didn’t lift. “As I said before, we know nothing of Maltran’s next actions, only her long-term goals. As such, it is far too difficult to prepare and that is exactly what they want. The more ignorant we are, the easier it will be to overtake us.”

Muse took a deep breath. “I want to draw Maltran out from the shadows and force her to fight in the open. This way, we will not have to wait for her to ambush us before we fight back.”

“How do you propose we draw her out?” Mikleo asked.

“She would never agree to meet in Ladylake, where it is our territory. We need to do it in a place considered neutral for both parties. ...I was thinking of Camlann.”

Mikleo’s vision flitted from Muse to Sorey and back again in a second, but it was long enough to see Sorey’s pale face. This would be the second war in his-  _ their  _ village. What was his mother thinking? “Fighting by the seal… wouldn’t that disturb it any further?”

“We will not fall.” Muse said firmly. “Maltran will do everything in her power to take us down and if she does so at Camlann, there is little doubt that the malevolence that would rise from our defeat would break the seal. She kills the seraphim and sets Heldalf free. It’s a win-win situation for her. There is no doubt that she would agree to our deal.”

“What about us?”  _ You _ , Mikleo didn’t say.  _ Sorey, me, everybody we know? _

“With the aid of the knights from Pendrago, I have full belief that we can hold our own against whatever Maltran may bring. If all of us seraphim work together, then surely our domains would protect us against the brunt of the malevolence and from what little we know, Maltran has little human followers.”

“There’s no way she would agree, not when she’s outnumbered by an army.” Mikleo’s voice began to rise. There was no way he was going to allow his mother to go through with this absurd plan— and there was no way he was going to let more blood fall over Camlann.

“If I have to challenge her myself, alone, then so be it. The knights will be our witnesses.”

“You are willing to put your life on the line? Mother, this plan… I apologize, but this plan is  _ crazy.  _ It’s too risky! It’s… do you not remember what happened… last time?”

“Risks are unavoidable.” Muse was devoid of emotion, the only sign of her inner turmoil the strength that which she was biting down on her lip with. “If Heldalf is unleashed, he will bring the world to its knees. That is why we must take every chance we can get to stop that from happening.”

_ No no no no no no no no _

_ That was Michael's plan, wasn’t it? She said— she said she wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself. And now, she’s doing the exact same thing as her brother. Are we really stronger than we were before? _

An icy chill blossomed in Mikleo’s chest, spreading through his body until he could barely move. Mikleo could practically feel Sorey’s eyes boring holes into him, yet he refused to stop staring at Muse.

“The people of Ladylake are weary with fear and I want to… I want to do whatever I can to bring them and their future hope, even if… even if it should cost me my life.”

_ “No!”  _ Mikleo couldn’t recognize the raw scream that tore through his throat. He slammed his hands down on the table, a dull thud resounding throughout the room. “You… Mother, what are you saying? A final confrontation at Camlann? A sacrifice? So you and your brother will be able to seal away Heldalf together? You said— you said history wouldn’t repeat itself!”

“It won’t. I’ll not—”

“You’ve basically made this plan a suicide mission for yourself!” Mikleo said and the hurt in Muse’s eyes was all the confirmation he needed. “Mother, you don’t need— you  _ can’t  _ sacrifice yourself!”

“Mikleo—”

“What about your kingdom? What about everybody here? What about  _ me?!  _ I can’t lead Ladylake on without you. Look at me, I could barely even remember to investigate something as small as Alisha and Enid’s stories… how could I ever lead a kingdom?! Ladylake needs you! Mother,  _ please,  _ reconsider! I don’t want to lose you, too. You’re all I have!”

Muse rose from her seat, level with Mikleo, her tone dangerously calm. “If Heldalf is set free, there won’t be anything left to protect. I only—”

“I’ve already lost my biological parents.” Mikleo cursed his voice for cracking. A tear quietly fell from his cheek to the table, left forgotten as he continued begging. “I’ve never had a father. You’re— you’re the only family I have left.” Muse opened her mouth to respond, but Mikleo was quicker. “ _ Please _ , Mother! We have other choices! This is stupid! Lailah, please, tell her! Tell her she doesn’t have to do this!”

“Mikleo is right, Muse.” Lailah was by Muse’s side, a hand on Muse’s arm. “Please, don’t be so hasty! Yes, time is short, but that does not call for your sacrifice. That is not your only answer!”

“I understand that this is a quick decision that I have made on my own, but I’ve already risked losing everything I had. I do not want to give Maltran another chance,” Muse sighed. “...But, I can only do so much on my own. If you truly do not want me to, then I cannot go against the wishes of my people.”

Mikleo’s hands were shaking, the only thing moving in an otherwise frozen room. A dull, smothering force like malevolence was pushing down on everybody, strengthened by Muse’s sudden words.

_ What could have pushed her to do this? _

“This plan could work.”

All eyes flitted to Eizen, who focused his gaze on the window. “Presumably, the humans are just as desperate. We know who they are and what their plans are and they’re outnumbered. A direct confrontation is what they need.”

“‘Eizen! What are you saying?” Lailah said dangerously, an unheard threat lingering in the air. 

“I’m saying that Muse is right. We don’t have any time.  _ No,  _ Mikleo,” Eizen said with a glare to rival that of Mikleo’s. “I’m not saying that the queen should sacrifice herself. We can spare a day or two coming up with a strategy to stop them once and for all that doesn’t require any sacrifices.”

“That would be the… ideal course of action, yes,” Muse said. She stared at the ground, and suddenly looked a lot smaller, a lot more frail, a little less queenly. 

“Then let us begin our plans immediately,” Morgrim spoke up. “Muse, have you yet decided on the formation?”

“Hold on,” Mikleo said. Muse’s gaze snapped upwards to stare at  _ him  _ instead. “I’m going to fight too. I will not stay behind in the castle and wait so I’m safe just in case my mother— my mother dies and Ladylake needs a ruler.”

_ Why,  _ Muse mouthed, yet Mikleo knew she already understood why.

“Me too!” Sorey stood up, nearly knocking over his chair in the process. “Camlann is still my home and I want to protect it and find out who destroyed Elysia. It’s… the least I can do.”

“Sorey—” Mikleo began, but Sorey shut him up with a look so uncharacteristic of him. The warmth, all that made up Sorey, was gone, and Mikleo saw the anger of a boy who lost everything he had not once, but twice before.

“...Any objections?” Morgrim asked, straight to the point. Zenrus shook his head and eventually, Muse did as well. “Very well. Let us begin.”

* * *

 

“Mikleo, wait!” Sorey called out, responded to by Mikleo’s retreating back. “Hold on just a second.  _ Mikleo—  _ c’mon, Mikleo!”

He sped up to a full run, heart thundering thanks to adrenaline and fear. Mikleo had barely said a word for the remainder of the meeting, just sat there with a stony face. The second it ended, he spoke with Muse, then left and here they were, playing a stupid game of tag.

“I just need a second, Mik!”

Mikleo stopped. “Don’t call me that.”

Panting, Sorey caught up to Mikleo, his hands on his knees. When he looked up, he was grinning. Mikleo was not. “At least I made you stop, right? Huh? Wa-wa-wait, Mikleo! Don’t go! I was joking!”

Sorey’s hand on Mikleo’s sleeve, they stood there in silence (though Sorey was sure Mikleo could hear his heart pounding). Mikleo then sighed, dropping his shoulders, all the tension flowing out of his body. 

“What is it, Sorey?” He sounded tired, so tired.

“It’s the meeting.”

“I thought as much.”

“Don’t… don’t be like that. I just… wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Sorey, how do you think I’m doing?” Mikleo pulled his arm away from Sorey’s grasp. “I just heard my mother offer to sacrifice herself for our kingdom. I heard her say that she was willing to die, just like her brother, to stop Heldalf from coming back. We made a plan to directly confront the people trying to bring back that… that  _ thing  _ that destroyed my hometown and killed me.” Mikleo kicked at the ground in frustration. “Of  _ course  _ I’m not doing well, Sorey. I’m not about to go putting confetti up and—”

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” Sorey said. “I wasn’t— I meant that I wanted to be here for you. Y’know? I’m not feeling too good over the meeting either. It’s not fair.”

Mikleo sighed. “...I’m sorry, Sorey, I didn’t mean to snap at you. You’re right. We’re all feeling terrible after that. I shouldn’t be so selfish.”

“You’re not being selfish. It’s your mom you’re talking about, of course you’d care about her.”

“...Sorey?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m tired. I just want to go to my bedroom and sleep. Hah, a seraph, needing sleep?”

“Well,” Sorey said. “It’s been a long day. And everybody needs to take care of themselves.”

“That means you, too.” Mikleo gave Sorey a glance out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re not wrong about that. Think there’s still enough room on your bed for the both of us?”

“More than enough.”

Outside, the sun shined bright, as if unaware that there was a darkness pushing against its light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, not the quality I'd like, but please bear with me. I'm not foolish enough to promise you guys regular updates or give an estimate of when I'll post the next chapter-- but I will. I can promise that! It's taken over one year and it'll take longer, but I'll finish this story, I swear!
> 
> Thank you to everybody who left a comment when it was first just a oneshot that encouraged me to continue the story (and, as a result, take my first steps into writing fanfiction properly), everybody who's been reading since the beginning or just started reading now, despite the hiatus, and everybody in-between. I never imagined this would grow so big and I can't express how thankful I am for everybody who's ever clicked on this.
> 
> Let's meet again soon ★


End file.
